Waymo gets approval for Ontario robotaxi pilot, starting in Toronto
The company can now map Toronto and move toward public-road testing before any rides are opened to passengers.
Waymo has been approved to join Ontario’s automated vehicle pilot program, putting its robotaxi operations on a path into Canada. The company says it will start in Toronto with manual mapping, then move to public-road testing with a human safety operator before opening rides to the public. Waymo framed the move as a milestone in its global expansion, which has recently included launches in Austin and Atlanta and now covers 15 U.S. cities, plus testing in London and Tokyo. It also said it has teamed up with Toronto-based Element Fleet Management and expects the effort to support hundreds of jobs in fleet maintenance, validation driving, customer service, and operations.
Why it matters
The approval gives Waymo a formal route into Canada and sets up a staged rollout that begins with manual mapping and then supervised road testing. Its partnership with Element Fleet Management also points to local hiring tied to the work, with hundreds of jobs expected across fleet maintenance, validation driving, customer service, and operations.
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Sources
- TechCrunch