Waymo gets Ontario pilot approval, will map Toronto, test robotaxis
Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car company, is officially rolling into Canada. It just got the green light to join Ontario's automated vehicle pilot program.
First up: driving around Toronto manually to map the city's streets. Next, it will start testing its autonomous cars, with safety operators on board, before eventually launching a public robotaxi service.
Waymo testing in London and Tokyo
This is part of Waymo's push beyond the US it has jumped from three commercial markets to 15 US cities in just two years and is testing them in London and Tokyo as well.
Toronto stands out because its tough winters will test Waymo's technology and operational savviness.
The project will also expects to support hundreds of jobs with Element Fleet Management. Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana called this an "important milestone" for Waymo as it keeps growing worldwide.