- Alphabet’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Waymo becomes the first company to receive a permit from California to test self-driving vehicles without a backup drier in the front seat.
- The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles says Waymo can use about three dozen test vehicles without drivers in Santa Clara County. Testing will start in Silicon Valley with Waymo employees as the initial passengers.
- About 60 companies have permits in the state to test self-driving cars with a backup driver in the front for safety, including several automakers and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL).
- New state regulation went into effect in April that allows public road testing without a driver.
- As part of its approval, Waymo most continuously monitor its test vehicles and provide two-way communication with passengers, notify local communities, and carry at least $5M.
- Waymo’s permit allows for day and night testing on city streets, rural roads, and highways with speed limits up to 65 mph.
- Waymo has conducted some testing without backup drivers in Arizona and will launch a self-driving taxi service by the end of this year in that state.
- Now read: Alphabet Plays The Long Game
Original article