Toronto now has a new backseat driver. Scratch that. Waymo wants to take the driver out of the equation altogether, and its first self-driving cars are about to hit city streets.
The Waymo team announced Friday that it’s officially laying the groundwork for its fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Toronto, with testing beginning this month ahead of a planned 2028 launch.
“In the coming days, you’ll start to see Waymo vehicles on the streets of Toronto as we begin driving manually. We are taking a rigorous, phased, safety-first approach starting with high-definition mapping of local street networks and testing with trained autonomous specialists behind the wheel,” the team said in a statement, adding that this validation period will ensure the Waymo Driver adapts seamlessly to the city’s driving conditions.
So, the cars wont be entirely driverless yet. Waymo received approval to begin its first phase of testing under Ontario’s Automated Vehicle Pilot Program, and trained human specialists will stay behind the wheel as the company tests its technology.
According to Waymo, the first cars that will roll-out will be all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, with testing potentially taking place around the clock. Torontonians can expect to spot these SUVs in neighbourhoods like St. Lawrence Market, Harbourfront, Roncesvalles Village, Parkdale, Liberty Village, Don Mills, Yorkdale, Leaside, East York, Summerhill, Yonge and Eglinton, Weston, Mimico and Etobicoke.
And, because safety, each car will be equipped with cameras, radar and lidar sensors that give its self-driving system a 360-degree view of its surroundings, helping it identify everything from pedestrians and cyclists to Toronto’s streetcars.
And then there’s the question a lot of locals have: how will the cars handle a Toronto winter? Waymo says it’s already tested its technology in snowy and icy environments across the U.S., although adapting to Toronto’s weather and road conditions will be a big part of the local trials.
Again, we’ll have to wait a bit before we can take a ride. Waymo is aiming for a 2028 launch, pending the necessary regulatory approvals. Once available, passengers will be able to request rides through the Waymo app, so it’ll be kind of like ordering an Uber, except there won’t be anyone sitting behind the steering wheel.
In the meantime, sign up for updates on Waymo’s Canadian site or follow the company on Instagram, @waymo.