Waymo granted permit to test self-driving cars on NYC streets

New York City has granted Waymo a permit to begin testing its self-driving vehicles on city streets, marking the first such authorization in the city. The pilot will involve up to eight Waymo Jaguar I-Pace SUVs operating in Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, with testing set to begin immediately and run through late September. The cars will drive autonomously, but a trained safety operator must be present in the driver’s seat with at least one hand on the wheel at all times. The program is not a robotaxi service and cannot pick up passengers; a separate license from the Taxi and Limousine Commission would be required for for-hire operations. Waymo must regularly report data and coordinate with the city’s Department of Transportation, and the company has also obtained the necessary state permits.

The testing regime is part of a broader, city-led push to expand autonomous vehicle experimentation under a safety framework introduced by Mayor Eric Adams in 2024. To participate, Waymo had to map a path through city agencies and first responders, submit a detailed testing plan to the DOT, and provide a safety plan that documents operator qualifications and other safeguards. The company...