Waymo Canada Launches Autonomous Driving Testing Program, Targeting Passenger Service in 2028

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 16, Waymo, the autonomous driving company under Alphabet, announced its entry into the Canadian market, with plans to build local operating facilities in Toronto and a goal of launching a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in 2028. Waymo has obtained an autonomous vehicle pilot permit issued by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. In the coming days, it will conduct manual driving, high-precision road mapping, and vehicle testing in Toronto, and will partner with local fleet management companies to build its operating system.

Waymo will initially deploy a small number of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles and gradually expand its fleet. Vehicles will first be manually driven to collect road information, after which trained autonomous driving specialists will conduct road testing and safety validation. The testing areas include multiple neighborhoods such as St. Lawrence Market, Harbourfront, Parkdale, Liberty Village, Don Mills, Yorkdale, and Etobicoke, with the related road testing managed under Ontario's autonomous vehicle pilot program.

Waymo has established a partnership with Toronto-based Element Fleet Management, which will provide end-to-end fleet management services covering vehicle maintenance and operational support. The two parties plan to gradually create hundreds of jobs, involving vehicle maintenance, road validation driving, customer service, and daily operations.

In terms of technical configuration, Waymo vehicles are equipped with an environmental perception system consisting of LiDAR, cameras, and millimeter-wave radar, covering a 360-degree area around the vehicle with a detection range of up to 300 meters. Waymo plans to use its sixth-generation autonomous driving system to handle road conditions across different seasons locally. The system is equipped with sensor cleaning devices and has undergone testing in ice, snow, and low-temperature environments. After commercial service launches, passengers will be able to book vehicles through the Waymo app.