Waymo received New York City's first permit to test autonomous vehicles and will deploy up to eight Jaguar I‑Pace EVs with human safety drivers starting in September across Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. The company will face dense urban challenges including honking taxis, delivery bikes, jaywalking pedestrians, impatient cyclists, and nonstop delivery trucks. City leaders including Mayor Eric Adams support the testing as an opportunity to lead next-generation mobility. Waymo cites internal data showing 88% fewer injury-causing crashes in its fleet compared to average drivers. Critics call the effort reckless, while competition with Tesla adds strategic urgency to prove autonomy in complex environments.
Waymo has just been granted the first-ever permit to test autonomous vehicles in New York City. Beginning this September, the company will deploy up to eight Jaguar I-Pace EVs, each with a human safety driver, across Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. For a city that thrives on unpredictability, it's a bold proving ground, one filled with honking taxis, impatient cyclists, jaywalking pedestrians,
Dropping robotaxis into Manhattan gridlock, surrounded by delivery bikes, jaywalkers, and endless horn blasts, is another. Critics are already calling it reckless - the New York Post went as far as labeling it "a really bad idea." But city officials, including Mayor Eric Adams, see it as a chance for New York to cement itself as a leader in next-generation mobility. Waymo itself argues that its vehicles are significantly safer than humans, citing internal data that shows 88% fewer injury-causing crashes in its fleet.
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