Waymo Expands Self-Driving Operations into Canada
Alphabet's self-driving unit, Waymo, has received approval to join Ontario’s automated vehicle pilot program and will begin operations in Toronto. The company plans a phased approach starting with manually driven vehicles for mapping before progressing to autonomous testing on public roads with safety operators. Eventually, the goal is to launch robotaxi services open to the public. This expansion marks part of Waymo's broader strategy to scale its presence globally and across North America. Currently operating in 15 U.S. cities and testing in London and Tokyo, the company has accelerated its growth since March 2024 with deployments in Austin and Atlanta. The Toronto project will also test how well Waymo’s technology performs under harsh winter conditions. Waymo is collaborating with local partner Element Fleet Management to manage operations in Canada, which it says could create hundreds of jobs across fleet maintenance, validation driving, customer service, and other roles.
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Topics: autonomous vehicles Canada Ontario robotaxis Transportation