Jun 18, 2025 - Business

Waymo takes on Manhattan, with humans for now

Joann Muller

Image of a Waymo self-driving car near Grand Central Terminal in New York City — Waymo is working to bring its robotaxis to New York. Photo: Courtesy of Waymo

Waymo is bringing its robotaxis to New York next month, with a goal of launching a full-fledged driverless rideshare service in the future.

Why it matters: Waymo is the autonomous vehicle industry leader, with a fleet of 1,500 robotaxis in multiple U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Cracking New York, America's most crowded city, would be a huge feat.

The catch: New York state law prohibits vehicles from operating without a driver behind the wheel.

State of play: Waymo has applied to the city's Department of Transportation for a permit to test autonomous vehicles with a safety driver in Manhattan. If approved, it would be the first testing deployment of robot-driven cars in New York.

The company is also lobbying for a change in the state law to allow vehicles to operate without a human driver.
Meanwhile, it's working to educate the public and build community trust by engaging with organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and agencies that support blind and developmentally disabled people.
It's also collaborating with Bronx Community College to train future AV technicians.

What to watch: Beginning in July, Waymo employees will be manually driving its signature white Jaguar i-Pace EVs around New York City.

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Waymo takes on Manhattan, with humans for now

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