After test-driving during snowstorms in Philadelphia, Waymo is fine-tuning its self-driving cars to ensure reliable rides even during winter weather.
As Waymo pushes toward fully autonomous driving in more cities, the company is focused on ensuring its ride-hailing service remains dependable in all weather conditions, including snow.is fine-tuning its self-driving cars to offer reliable ride-hailing service in winter weather, following test drives on Philadelphia 's snow-covered streets and in other snow-prone cities.
As Waymo pushes toward fully autonomous driving in more cities, the company is focused on ensuring its ride-hailing service remains dependable in all weather conditions, including snow.This week, the company released footage of its vehicles driving through slushy streets in six locations: Detroit, New York City, Denver, Washington, D.C., Houston and Philadelphia. During testing in those cities, the company has sought to identify the most effective pickup and drop-off points for riders in areas affected by snowbanks. Waymo is also focusing on optimizing charging cycles for all-electric vehicles to maintain peak performance in freezing temperatures, ensuring local depots are well-equipped regardless of the weather forecast. In addition, the company is preparing its vehicles to adapt smoothly to road maintenance and unexpected road closures. Waymo has even started giving employees test rides through wintry streets, each trip guided by a human specialist riding along."Regardless of whether Philly saw record accumulation this year, the Waymo Driver is constantly building its collective experience. A key advantage of our technology is that what one vehicle learns benefits the entire fleet—whether that vehicle is driving through routine snowstorms in Minneapolis or record freezing temperatures in Florida," shared Sandy Karp, communications manager for Waymo.It is unclear at this time when they will move to fully autonomous operations in the City of Brotherly Love and be available to the public. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, owns Waymo. It currently serves riders in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Austin, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Miami and Orlando, according to its website.
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