Waymo begins robotaxi tests in Philadelphia and NYC

Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving technology subsidiary, is taking its autonomous vehicle (AV) testing to the Northeast. On Monday, the company kicked off two new “road trips” to Philadelphia and New York City, marking the latest step in its nationwide push to refine its AI driver and eventually expand commercial robotaxi services.

These road trips don’t signify an immediate commercial launch. Instead, Waymo will deploy a small fleet of human-driven vehicles equipped with its autonomous driving system to map each city’s streets and gather data. After initial mapping, the company will test its AVs in autonomous mode—but still with human safety drivers behind the wheel—to help its engineers fine-tune the technology for complex urban environments.

In Philadelphia, Waymo plans to drive through some of the city’s most challenging areas, including downtown neighborhoods, freeways, and residential zones such as North Central, Eastwick, University City, and along the Delaware River. According to a company spokesperson, Waymo vehicles will be visible at all hours as they work to map and understand the city’s unique driving conditions.

In New York City, Waymo will manually operate its vehicles through the core of Manhattan—from north of Central Park to The Battery—as well as parts of Downtown Brooklyn. The company also plans to map areas of Jersey City and Hoboken in neighboring New Jersey. Waymo recently applied for a permit to test its vehicles autonomously (with a human driver onboard) in NYC but has yet to receive approval. Strict AV regulations in the city currently prohibit testing without a human in the front seat, something Waymo is lobbying to change.

This isn’t Waymo’s first foray into the region. In late 2021, the company mapped parts of Manhattan and New Jersey, and earlier this year, it tested its vehicles in Buffalo’s winter driving conditions. Similar road trips to cities like Houston, Orlando, and San Diego have helped pave the way for eventual commercial launches. In 2023, a Santa Monica road trip led to Waymo expanding its Los Angeles service, which now covers Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood.

Waymo’s growing network of operations currently includes commercial robotaxi services in Phoenix, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta. New markets are on the horizon: Miami is expected to launch later this year, with Washington, D.C. slated for 2026.

While a commercial service in New York or Philadelphia is still a long way off, these road trips represent critical groundwork. As Waymo continues expanding, it's clear the company is positioning itself to bring autonomous ride-hailing to some of the nation’s most complex and demanding cities.