Until now, Waymo’s self-driving cars have almost always been used in areas with a hot climate. Currently, it seems that the company wants to test its machines in harsher conditions. According to reports, on November 4, autonomous Chrysler Pacifica pickup trucks will begin operating in New York City.
In order to map city streets and gather environmental information, Jaguar I-Pace vans as well as electric cars will be guided by human drivers. However, driverless trips with passengers are not yet planned.
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Waymo hopes that the data collected can be used to achieve its long-term autonomy goals in different cities.
Priority to weather tests
We know that the vans will be deployed in Manhattan below Central Park, particularly in “midtown” and “lower Manhattan”. The financial district as well as part of New Jersey through the Lincoln Tunnel will also be part of the deployment areas. Waymo said all testing will be done during the day.
While racing in dry weather can help help Waymo’s AI familiarize itself with New York’s particularly heavy traffic, the company appears to be interested in weather tests. Indeed, ice and snow have always been a major problem for self-driving cars. Much like most cities in the North, New York is known for its harsh winter conditions and heavy rains.
The Future of Autonomous Ridesharing Services in NYC
Waymo said the responses from politicians, regulators, industry, and nonprofits seem very encouraging.
New York City, however, is known to be very protective of its taxi service, and is also very dependent on its ridesharing services. At the moment, driverless ridesharing services like Waymo are still a long way from starting operations in the city. It is obvious, however, that those working in the taxi and carpooling business will not be thrilled at the idea of being replaced by stand-alone systems.
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