• by Tanya Gazdik , Yesterday

Waymo’s driverless vehicles are heading to the Motor City. 

The fully autonomous ride-hailing service is currently running a Detroit pilot program to become familiar with the city’s historic streets.

Waymo said the goal is to have the full self-driving service available in Detroit by next year.

Detroit will be Waymo’s first Midwestern city, thanks to a soon-to-be released upgrade designed to safely navigate snowy conditions. 

The company has had an engineering team in the suburban Detroit city of Novi, Michigan since 2016.

"We’ve also regularly tested in Detroit during winter weather to develop our capabilities in snow and ice,” according to the company’s blog. “We’ve made great strides in our efforts to operate in heavier snow -- including testing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula -- and look forward to the 6th-generation Waymo Driver navigating Detroit streets this winter.”

Waymo will use an all-electric fleet, including Jaguar I-Pace and Zeekr RT.  The latter is a Chinese company and a Tesla competitor.

Organizations like The Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan and the clients it serves are especially excited for Waymo’s accessible and safe transportation solutions.

“For many people living with epilepsy, transportation is a significant barrier,” says Andrea Schotthoefer, president, Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, in a release. “[Waymo’s] efforts show what’s possible and inspire collective action toward a future where transportation barriers no longer stand in the way of opportunity and inclusion.”

The company currently operates fleets in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Atlanta and Austin, Texas.