Nov 3, 2025 - Business

Waymo to begin testing self-driving cars in the Motor City

Nathan Bomey

White Waymo autonomous vehicle with sensors and cameras on roof and sides, stopped at intersection in urban area, with a person walking nearby, graffiti on fence and pillars in background — A Waymo vehicle in San Francisco on Sept. 18. Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

The Motor City is getting driverless vehicles.

Why it matters: Detroit helped popularize cars with drivers — and now it'll be the testing ground for a new driverless phase of the motorized revolution.

Driving the news: Self-driving car service Waymo announced Monday that it will begin testing its vehicles in Detroit.

"You'll soon see us around as we familiarize ourselves with the city's historic streets, ahead of serving riders," Waymo said in a statement.

Zoom in: Waymo, known as the former Google driverless car project, has had an engineering team in metro Detroit for years.

"We've also regularly tested in Detroit during winter weather to develop our capabilities in snow and ice," the company said.

The big picture: The self-driving car wars are heating up, with recent moves by multiple Waymo rivals to expand their offerings.

GM announced plans for an "eyes-off" autonomous driving system in 2028.
Tesla launched a self-driving car service in Austin, Texas.
Uber announced plans to bring 100,000 autonomous vehicles into its global ride-hailing network by 2027.

Add Axios on Google

Waymo to begin testing self-driving cars in the Motor City

What to read next