Waymo has embarked on two road trips to Philadelphia and New York City, marking the Alphabet-owned company’s interest in expanding into Northeastern cities. The moves come as part of Waymo’s efforts to test its autonomous driving system in new locations.
The “road trips” involve sending a small fleet of human-driven vehicles equipped with Waymo’s autonomous technology to map out the cities and gather data. Once the data is collected, the vehicles will be used autonomously by humans before being sent back to Waymo’s engineers for improvement.
Waymo has previously tested its autonomous capabilities in other locations, including Santa Monica, Los Angeles, where it now operates a commercial service. The company plans to deploy its vehicles in complex areas of Philadelphia and New York City, including downtown and freeways.
However, the test of Waymo’s AVs in NYC is still pending approval from city authorities. Despite this, the company has a history of success with autonomous testing in cities across the US.
Waymo currently offers commercial robotaxi services in several major cities, including Atlanta, Austin, and Los Angeles. The company plans to launch new services in Miami this year and Washington, D.C., in 2026.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/waymo-heading-to-philadelphia-and-nyc