Waymo is bringing its driverless taxi service to Toronto, its first city in Canada, and hopes to carry its first riders there in 2028. The Alphabet-owned company announced the move today.
Its cars will appear on Toronto’s streets in the coming days, but people will drive them at first. Waymo will first map the city’s roads in detail. After that, trained staff will test the cars from behind the wheel, so the software can learn how people drive in Toronto.
The Ontario government has approved Waymo to join a provincial pilot programme that regulates the testing of autonomous cars, The Canadian Press reported. California-based Gatik already uses the same programme to run self-driving box trucks for Loblaw in Toronto.
Waymo is not doing this alone. Toronto-based Element Fleet Management, which already supports its service in San Diego, will manage the fleet on the ground, from maintenance and charging to keeping cars ready for riders.
Together, the two firms expect to create hundreds of jobs over time, from car upkeep and test driving to customer service. Canada’s largest pension fund, CPP Investments, is also a long-term investor in Waymo, while Canadian car parts maker Magna builds its vehicles.
“As a Canadian company, we are proud to be expanding our partnership with Waymo,” said Laura Dottori-Attanasio, Element’s chief executive.
Waymo has also won backing from groups for blind and disabled people, such as CNIB. They see driverless cars as a way for people who cannot drive to get around independently.
The company says its cars have now driven more than 400 million kilometres autonomously. Where it operates, Waymo says its cars are in 95% fewer crashes with serious injuries than human drivers.
Not everyone is convinced. Critics say self-driving cars still struggle in heavy traffic and bad weather, a real test in a city with Toronto’s winters, according to The Canadian Press.
Toronto adds to a growing list of cities outside the US, with Waymo also expanding to London and Tokyo.
At home, however, its plans have not always gone smoothly. In New York, for example, local politics have blocked the company’s robotaxis, even as it rolls out its cheaper Ojai robotaxi.