Waymo begins testing driverless robotaxis on Austin highways

Waymo driverless robotaxis have been a common sight on Austin roads since launching nearly a year ago. But they’ll soon be spotted on area highways.

Waymo announced Wednesday afternoon that its self-driving cars have started employee-only rides on highways across the country, including in Austin. 

The move comes as Tesla Cybercabs have also been spotted on Austin-area freeways. In January, a video of a Cybercab driving at night on Austin’s MoPac Expressway, officially Texas State Highway Loop 1, begain making the rounds online. The Austin-based automaker has begun ramping up production of its purpose built ride-hailing vehicle. 

With the highway rollout and additional city launches planned this month, Waymo appears to be solidifying its position in the robotaxi industry. The company operates in more U.S. cities than any competitor and expanded into San Antonio this week. In Austin, it has over 200 vehicles operating across more than 140 square miles.

The testing on Austin highways will be fully driverless, but those routes are only available to Waymo employees, according to the company’s announcement. During the testing period, Waymo employees will give feedback on the service and experience before the company opens the service to all riders via its partnership with Uber. 

The company already operates on highways in Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

“Like other expansions to our operations, we’re following the same processes outlined by our safety framework, informed by years of safe and proven experience operating fleets of rider-only vehicles on public roads across California and Arizona and millions of miles of experience,” a Waymo spokesperson said Wednesday.

Waymo, owned by Google parent company Alphabet Inc., recently came under scrutiny after Austin ISD police released videos that appear to shiw its driverless vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses. The company issued a software recall to address the issue; however, Austin ISD officials say the vehicles continue to pass school buses as students board and exit.

Outside of the school buses incidents, Waymo reported 12 incidents from December to mid-January in Austin, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Waymo operates a fleet five times the size of Tesla, which racked up 14 incidents in the same time period.