dailynewsnblog
Waymo is bringing its autonomous ride services across the border to Canada for the first time.
The company said in a blog post on Friday that its robotaxis will be available for you to book rides in the app in the Toronto area in 2028. It will start with a limited number of its mainstay Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs, and will add more over time.
But if you’re in Toronto, you can expect to see Waymo cars, driven by humans, in the coming days as the company maps local street networks and acclimates its autonomous technology to traffic patterns and driving conditions.
Waymo will test in select Toronto neighborhoods, including Liberty Village, St. Lawrence Market and Yorkdale. It has also built a sixth-generation Waymo Driver autonomous driving system to navigate diverse environments, including the extreme winter weather Toronto faces in the colder months. A Waymo representative did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
The company is also partnering with Toronto-based Element Fleet Management for vehicle maintenance, validation driving and customer service.
Waymo launched its fully autonomous ride service featuring electric vehicles in 2018. The ride service is currently available in the US in places including Miami, Phoenix and the San Francisco Bay Area. Earlier this year, Denver, San Diego, Las Vegas and Tampa were added to the list of available cities.
Sign-ups to ride with Waymo in Toronto and track the progress of the Canadian launch are now open on Waymo’s website.
See full bio
