Self-driving taxi operator Waymo says it will launch a test phase in Toronto in the coming days, with the goal of carrying its first passengers in 2028.
The California-based company says the Ontario government has given it the green light to take part in a provincial pilot program that regulates testing of autonomous cars.
Get daily National news
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet Inc., says the first phase includes high-definition street mapping and test runs of the robotaxis with a driver behind the wheel, starting this fall.
Skeptics of the technology say autonomous vehicles struggle to handle more complicated environments, including heavy traffic and bad weather, but Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana says the company is committed to safer streets and more accessible mobility.
- Backstreet Boys’ 12-show Toronto run offers millennials a ticket to simpler times
- Stellantis workers begin voting on strike mandate as talks remain stalled
- How Canada’s fractured immigration consensus is starting to show up at ballot boxes
- Millions in funding put toward Manitoba First Nations Police, safety officers
For its launch in Canada, Waymo is partnering with Toronto-based Element Fleet Management, which will provide maintenance, customer service and other support functions.
Waymo’s distinctive white crossover SUVs will not be the first vehicles to traverse Toronto streets under the provincial pilot program, after California-based Gatik began a rollout of 50 autonomous box trucks for Loblaw in the city last year.
“Waymo” is releasing a fleet of driverless vehicles in 2028? Was there a public vote on this I missed? I don’t remember the public being told about the pros and cons of such. What does the Toronto mayor and city counsel say about this ?
NotThatKind. You are a more on.
Have teenagers figured out yet that all you have to is stand in front of these autonomous self driving vehicles and you could create massive traffic jams…like a giant flash mob of kids running in front of these robo taxis and gridlocking cities…
There will be a lot of jobs lost because of AI. The problem is, it will come quickly and people cannot just switch occupations easily. We need to prepare for this and an income floor or annual guaranteed income needs to be put in place by government. End stage capitalism isn’t a myth and it will primarily driven by a financial crisis and AI.
Ah, Rob Ford doesn’t think that bicycle couriers are enough of an obstacle to driving in Toronto. Make driving in the city impossible, Robbie!!