UPDATE: Waymo has just announced the expansion of its driverless rides to freeways, starting today in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. Passengers in these cities can now reach their destinations faster as the self-driving service opens freeway routes to the public for the first time.
This groundbreaking development allows Waymo’s fully electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles to operate on major highways, significantly cutting travel times. Until now, rides were limited to surface streets, potentially leading to longer routes. The company has been testing freeway capabilities with employees for over a year, ensuring that the transition to high-speed environments is both safe and reliable.
Initially, only early access customers will be able to take advantage of freeway rides, with plans to gradually roll out this capability to a wider audience. Interested users can indicate their desire for early freeway access through the Waymo app.
During a recent test ride near San Bruno, a firsthand experience revealed how seamlessly Waymo’s vehicles navigate freeway conditions. The self-driving technology adeptly handled on- and off-ramps, lane changes, and kept pace with surrounding traffic. As noted by Naomi Guthrie, a UX researcher at Waymo, “If taking the freeway makes your trip meaningfully faster, that is the route that you’ll be offered.”
Waymo’s autonomous vehicles have been navigating freeways since the inception of the self-driving car project in 2009. However, achieving full autonomy without human oversight on such vast roadways has proven challenging. According to Dmitri Dolgov, co-CEO of Waymo, “Freeway driving is one of those things that’s very easy to learn, but very hard to master.”
The company has invested heavily in testing scenarios that prepare their vehicles for the complexities of freeway driving. Key advantages of Waymo’s technology include the absence of fatigue, distraction, and emotional decision-making, as highlighted by Jacopo Sannazzaro, group product manager at Waymo.
Waymo’s expanded service area now spans over 260 square miles in the San Francisco Bay Area, including access to San Jose Mineta International Airport. The autonomous rides are available 24/7, offering curbside pickup and drop-off at both Terminals A and B at SJC. Riders should note that there is a service fee for airport trips.
In addition to freeway access, Waymo has received a pilot permit to begin commercial operations at San Francisco International Airport, with a phased rollout set to commence soon. This includes an initial phase with a safety driver, followed by tests without human operators, and finally commercial operations.
As Waymo continues to expand, it is increasingly sharing the roads with other autonomous services, including Nuro and Amazon-owned Zoox, which recently launched public rides in Las Vegas. As competition heats up, it remains to be seen how quickly other companies will follow Waymo’s lead in offering freeway rides.
With this significant expansion, Waymo is poised to reshape urban mobility across major U.S. cities, offering passengers a glimpse into the future of transportation. Stay tuned for more updates as this story continues to develop.