The future is near! Toronto could soon see driverless taxis on its streets, as Waymo, the autonomous driving company owned by Alphabet, prepares to expand into Canada for the first time.
The company plans to launch a fully driverless ride-hailing service in Toronto by 2028, with preparations beginning under Ontario’s Automated Vehicle Pilot Program (AVPP).
The rollout will start with electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles driven by trained safety specialists to map Toronto’s streets, traffic patterns and road layouts. Once mapping is complete, the vehicles will move into autonomous testing with safety drivers on board before progressing to fully driverless rides. If the launch proceeds as planned, passengers will be able to hail a Waymo vehicle directly through the company’s smartphone app.
Toronto’s winter weather will be a key challenge for the technology, with snow, ice and slush potentially affecting visibility and road conditions. Waymo’s vehicles use a combination of cameras, LiDAR and radar to navigate their surroundings, along with equipment designed to help sensors operate in freezing temperatures.
The company says its autonomous technology has demonstrated improved safety compared with human drivers across its existing operations in the United States, where it already serves several major cities.
Waymo’s expansion could also bring new jobs to Ontario, with local operations expected to require workers in fleet maintenance, depot operations, mapping and field support as the service develops.
The planned 2028 launch remains a target, with testing and preparations expected to take place in the years leading up to the commercial rollout.
You can follow along on with the rollout’s expansion into Canada here on their website.
