History of Waymo in Timeline
Waymo LLC, formerly the Google Self-Driving Car Project, is an American autonomous driving technology company based in Mountain View, California. As a subsidiary of Google's parent company, it focuses on developing self-driving technology for various applications. Waymo aims to improve transportation safety and efficiency through its autonomous driving systems. The company has achieved significant milestones in autonomous driving, including millions of miles driven on public roads and the launch of a commercial robotaxi service in select areas.
2004: Ghost Rider Built for DARPA Grand Challenge
In 2004, Levandowski's Berkeley team built Ghost Rider, the autonomous two-wheeled motorcycle for the DARPA Grand Challenge, which Levandowski later donated to the Smithsonian.
2005: Stanley is built for the 2005 DARPA Challenges.
Before working at Google in 2005, Thrun and 15 engineers built Stanley, Stanford's entry in the DARPA Challenges.
2005: Stanford Racing Team Competes in DARPA Grand Challenge
In 2005, the Stanford Racing Team, which is where the company traces its origins, competed in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge.
2007: Junior is built for the 2007 DARPA Challenges.
Before working at Google in 2007, Thrun and 15 engineers built Junior, Stanford's entry in the DARPA Challenges.
2007: Stanford Racing Team Competes in DARPA Grand Challenge
In 2007, the Stanford Racing Team, which is where the company traces its origins, competed in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge.
February 2008: Levandowski offered to retrofit a Toyota Prius as a self-driving pizza delivery car
In February 2008, a Discovery Channel producer contacted Levandowski to borrow his autonomous motorcycle, Ghost Rider. As it was unavailable, Levandowski proposed retrofitting a Toyota Prius as a self-driving pizza delivery car for the show Prototype This!.
December 2008: Pribot delivers pizza across San Francisco Bay Bridge
In December 2008, an episode of Prototype This! aired, showcasing Pribot, a retrofitted Toyota Prius, delivering pizza across the San Francisco Bay Bridge under police escort. The project was spearheaded by Anthony's Robots, founded by Levandowski, utilizing lidar, sensors, and cameras, with code from the Stanford team (Stanley (vehicle)).
2008: Street View team launches project Ground Truth
In 2008, the Street View team launched project Ground Truth, to create accurate road maps by extracting data from satellites and street views.
January 2009: Google's self-driving technology development begins
In January 2009, Google initiated the development of self-driving technology. The project was spearheaded by Sebastian Thrun, previously the director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL), and Anthony Levandowski, the founder of 510 Systems and Anthony's Robots.
January 2009: Google greenlights self-driving car program
In January 2009, the success of Pribot led Google to greenlight its self-driving car program.
January 17, 2009: Google X lab launches self-driving technology development
On January 17, 2009, Google's development of self-driving technology began at Google X lab, under the direction of co-founder Sergey Brin. The project's launch was led by Sebastian Thrun and Anthony Levandowski.
2009: Google spent $1.1 billion on the project between 2009 and 2015.
Google spent $1.1 billion on the self-driving car project between 2009 and 2015.
2009: Google Begins Self-Driving Car Testing
In 2009, Google initiated the testing of its self-driving cars in the San Francisco Bay Area, marking an early stage in the development of autonomous vehicle technology.
October 9, 2010: Google's project revealed by the New York Times
On October 9, 2010, after nearly two years of road testing with seven vehicles, The New York Times revealed the existence of Google's self-driving car project. Google later announced its initiative on the same day.
October 2010: Google's self-driving project revealed
In October 2010, after approximately two years of road testing, Google's self-driving car project was officially revealed to the public.
2010: Lawmakers Express Concerns Over Autonomous Vehicles Regulation
Starting in 2010, lawmakers in various states expressed concerns over how to regulate autonomous vehicles.
2011: Google acquires 510 Systems and Anthony's Robots
In 2011, Google acquired 510 Systems (co-founded by Levandowski, Pierre-Yves Droz, and Andrew Schultz) and Anthony's Robots for an estimated US$20 million. Levandowski's vehicle and hardware, along with Stanford's AI technology and software, formed the foundation of the project.
March 1, 2012: Nevada law regarding autonomous vehicles goes into effect
On March 1, 2012, a Nevada law concerning the regulation of autonomous vehicles went into effect. Google had been lobbying for such legislation.
May 2012: Modified Prius licensed as first self-driven car in the US
In May 2012, a modified Toyota Prius received a license from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), becoming the first self-driven car licensed in the United States. Chris Urmson was driving and Levandowski was in the passenger seat.
2012: Castle Test Facility Established
In 2012, the Castle test facility in Central Valley, California, a former airbase, began serving as Waymo's project training course.
December 2013: States Pass Autonomous Car Laws
By December 2013, Nevada, Florida, California, and Michigan had passed laws permitting autonomous cars, while a law was proposed in Texas allowing testing, indicating increasing acceptance of self-driving technology.
January 2014: Google Granted Patent for Advertising-Funded Transportation Service
In January 2014, Google was granted a patent for a transportation service funded by advertising, which included autonomous vehicles as a method of transport.
2014: Criticisms of Waymo's Technology
In 2014, a critic wrote in the MIT Technology Review that unmapped stoplights would cause problems with Waymo's technology and the self-driving technology could not detect potholes. Additionally, the lidar technology cannot spot some potholes or discern when a person, such as a police officer, signals the car to stop.
June 2015: Waymo Vehicles Surpass 1 Million Miles Driven
In June 2015, Waymo announced that its vehicles had driven over 1,000,000 miles, encountering 200,000 stop signs, 600,000 traffic lights, and 180 million other vehicles, with prototype vehicles driving in Mountain View at speeds limited to 25 mph with safety drivers aboard.
July 2015: Google's Self-Driving Cars Involved in Minor Collisions
By July 2015, Google's 23 self-driving cars had been involved in 14 minor collisions on public roads, with Google stating the vehicle was not at fault in all but one case.
August 2015: John Krafcik hired as CEO
In August 2015, Google hired John Krafcik, a former Hyundai Motor executive, as CEO.
December 1, 2015: Waymo's Autonomous Miles Covered
From December 1, 2015, through November 30, 2016, Waymo reported a total of 636,868 miles covered by the fleet in autonomous mode, and the associated 124 disengagements.
2015: Google spent $1.1 billion on the project between 2009 and 2015.
Google spent $1.1 billion on the self-driving car project between 2009 and 2015.
2015: Google plans to test Firefly prototype on San Francisco Bay Area roads
In December 2014, Google unveiled a Firefly prototype that was planned to be tested on San Francisco Bay Area roads beginning in early 2015.
2015: Google provides the world's first fully driverless ride
In fall 2015, Google provided "the world's first fully driverless ride on public roads".
March 2016: General Motors acquired Cruise Automation
In March 2016, Cruise Automation was acquired by General Motors for $500 million.
May 2016: Google and Stellantis announce order of 100 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans
In May 2016, Google and Stellantis announced an order of 100 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans to test the self-driving technology. In May 2016, the company opened a technology center in Novi, Michigan.
June 2016: Google Expands Road Testing
In June 2016, Google had test driven its fleet of vehicles in autonomous mode a total of 1,725,911 miles (2,777,585 km), expanding road testing to Phoenix and Kirkland, Washington, which has a wet climate.
August 2016: Autonomous Miles Driven in August 2016
In August 2016 alone, Google's cars traveled a total of 170,000 miles, with 126,000 miles driven autonomously, signifying the increasing reliance on the car's own control.
August 2016: Uber acquired Otto
In August 2016, Uber acquired Otto for $680 million.
November 30, 2016: Waymo's Autonomous Miles Covered
From December 1, 2015, through November 30, 2016, Waymo reported a total of 636,868 miles covered by the fleet in autonomous mode, and the associated 124 disengagements.
December 2016: Project changed its name to Waymo
In December 2016, the project changed its name to Waymo and spun out of Google as part of Alphabet. The name was derived from "a new way forward in mobility".
December 2016: Project renamed Waymo
In December 2016, the self-driving project was renamed Waymo. At the same time, it was spun out of Google to become a subsidiary of Alphabet.
October 2017: Waymo tests minivans without safety driver on public roads
In October 2017, Waymo began testing minivans without a safety driver on public roads in Chandler, Arizona.
2017: Waymo Begins Winter Testing in Michigan
Beginning in 2017, Waymo started testing in areas with harsher conditions, such as its winter testing in Michigan, to expand the operational capabilities of its autonomous vehicles.
2017: Waymo Expands Testing and Unveils Castle Test Facility
In 2017, Waymo began testing in Michigan. Also, in 2017, Waymo unveiled its Castle test facility in Central Valley, California, which has served as the project's training course since 2012.
2017: Waymo Begins Level 4 Car Testing in Arizona
In 2017, Waymo began testing its level 4 cars in Arizona to take advantage of good weather, simple roads, and permissive laws with minimal disclosure requirements.
2017: Waymo highlights four specific business uses for its autonomous tech
In 2017, Waymo highlighted four specific business uses for its autonomous tech: robotaxis, trucking and logistics, urban public transportation, and passenger cars.
2017: Waymo Removes Safety Drivers in Arizona
In November of 2017, Waymo altered its Arizona testing by removing safety drivers. The cars were geofenced within a 100-square-mile (260 km) region surrounding Chandler, Arizona.
March 2018: Waymo orders up to 20,000 Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs
In March 2018, Jaguar Land Rover announced that Waymo had ordered up to 20,000 of its I-Pace electric SUVs at an estimated cost of more than $1 billion.
May 2018: Alphabet plans to add up to 62,000 Pacifica Hybrid minivans to the fleet
In late May 2018, Alphabet announced plans to add up to 62,000 Pacifica Hybrid minivans to the fleet. Also in May 2018, Waymo established Huimo Business Consulting subsidiary in Shanghai.
July 2018: Uber halts self-driving truck production through Otto
In July 2018, Uber announced that it was halting production of self-driving trucks through Otto, and the subsidiary company was shuttered.
October 2018: Waymo Receives Permit for Driverless Cars
In October 2018, the California Department of Motor Vehicles issued a permit for Waymo to operate cars without safety drivers, making Waymo the first company to receive such a permit for day and night testing on public roads and highways, in areas including Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, and Palo Alto.
December 2018: Waymo One Launched with Safety Drivers
In December 2018, Waymo launched Waymo One, transporting passengers, with the service using safety drivers to monitor some rides and others provided in select areas without them.
April 2019: Waymo announces plans for vehicle assembly in Detroit
In April 2019, Waymo announced plans for vehicle assembly in Detroit at the former American Axle & Manufacturing plant, aiming to bring between 100 and 400 jobs to the area. Waymo used vehicle assembler Magna to turn Jaguar I-PACE electric SUVs and Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans into Waymo Level 4 autonomous vehicles.
July 2019: Waymo Receives Permission to Transport Passengers
In July 2019, Waymo received permission to transport passengers, marking another key milestone in the development of their autonomous ride-hailing service.
November 2019: Waymo One Operates Without Safety Drivers
In November 2019, Waymo One became the first autonomous service worldwide to operate without safety drivers, marking a significant advancement in autonomous transportation.
January 2020: Waymo Completes Twenty Million Miles
By January 2020, Waymo had completed twenty million miles (32,000,000 km) of driving on public roads, a significant milestone in the development and testing of its autonomous technology.
March 2020: Waymo Via launched
In March 2020, Waymo Via was launched following the company's announcement that it had raised $2.25 billion from investors.
May 2020: Waymo raised an additional $750 million
In May 2020, Waymo raised an additional $750 million.
July 2020: Waymo and Stellantis Expand Partnership
In July 2020, Waymo and Stellantis expanded their partnership to include the development of Ram ProMaster delivery vehicles.
July 2020: Waymo announced partnership with Volvo
In July 2020, the company announced an exclusive partnership with auto manufacturer Volvo to integrate Waymo technology.
October 2020: Waymo offers fully driverless service to the public
In October 2020, Waymo achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first company to offer its service to the public without requiring safety drivers to be present in the vehicle.
2020: Waymo Via launches to integrate technology into vehicles
Waymo Via launched in 2020 to work with OEMs to get its technology into vehicles. The company is testing Class 8 tractor-trailers in Atlanta, and southwest shipping routes across Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The company operates a trucking hub in Dallas, Texas. It is partnering with Daimler to integrate autonomous technology into a fleet of Freightliner Cascadia trucks.
April 2021: Krafcik replaced by Mawakana and Dolgov
In April 2021, Krafcik was replaced by two co-CEOs: Waymo's COO Tekedra Mawakana and CTO Dmitri Dolgov.
June 2021: Waymo raised $2.5 billion in another funding round
Waymo raised $2.5 billion in another funding round in June 2021, with total funding of $5.5 billion.
July 2021: NHTSA Finds 150 Crashes by Waymo
By July 2021, the NHTSA had found 150 crashes by Waymo. Under NHTSA rules, crashes were reported if the system was in use in the prior 30 seconds, though most crashes did not have injuries.
August 2021: Waymo One Test Service Starts in San Francisco
In August 2021, a commercial Waymo One test service was launched in San Francisco, starting with a "trusted tester" rollout, indicating a move towards public deployment.
August 2021: Waymo launches consumer testing program in San Francisco
Waymo launched a consumer testing program in San Francisco in August 2021.
2021: Waymo partnered with Zeekr to develop electric vehicles
In 2021, Waymo partnered with Chinese automobile company Zeekr to develop electric vehicles which are the basis for the sixth-generation robotaxis. These vehicles are anticipated to reduce costs.
2021: Waymo Cars Routing Issue in San Francisco
In 2021, it was noted that Waymo cars kept routing through the Richmond District of San Francisco, with up to 50 cars each day driving to a dead end street before turning around.
January 2022: Waymo sues California DMV to prevent release of driverless crash data
In January 2022, Waymo sued the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to prevent data on driverless crashes from being released to the public, arguing that such information constituted a trade secret. The data included information on how it plans to handle driverless car emergencies.
February 2022: Waymo prevents release of robotaxi safety records
In February 2022, Waymo successfully prevented the release of robotaxi safety records. A Waymo spokesperson affirmed that the company would be transparent about its safety record.
March 2022: Waymo Offers Driverless Rides to Staff
In March 2022, Waymo began offering rides for Waymo staff in San Francisco without a driver, marking an expansion of its driverless testing program.
May 2022: Waymo starts pilot program in downtown Phoenix
In May 2022, Waymo started a pilot program seeking riders in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. In May 2022, Waymo also announced that it would expand the program to more areas of Phoenix.
June 2022: Waymo announces partnership with Uber
In June 2022, Waymo announced a partnership with Uber, under which Waymo will integrate its autonomous technology into Uber's freight truck service. Plans to expand the program to Los Angeles were announced in late 2022.
December 13, 2022: Waymo applied for final permit for autonomous taxis
On December 13, 2022, Waymo applied for the final permit necessary to operate fully autonomous taxis, without a backup driver present, within the state of California.
2022: Waymo Raises US$5.5 Billion
By 2022, Waymo raised US$5.5 billion through multiple outside funding rounds.
January 2023: Layoffs at Waymo and trucking program reportedly killed
In January 2023, The Information reported that Waymo staff were among those affected by Google's layoffs of around 12,000 workers. TechCrunch reported that Waymo was set to kill its trucking program.
May 2023: Waymo Robotaxi Kills a Dog
In May 2023, a Waymo robotaxi killed a dog in San Francisco while in "autonomous mode", resulting in public scrutiny of the safety of autonomous vehicles.
2023: Cruise suspends operations after an accident
Around October 2024, after Cruise had to suspend its operations after an accident in 2023, the New York Times described Waymo as being "far ahead of the competition".
2023: Waymo Vehicle Issues Highlighted by News Report
In 2023, ABC7 News Bay Area posted a video of a journalist taking a ride in a Waymo vehicle, which stopped at a green light and dropped the journalist at the wrong stop twice, despite support intervention.
2023: Waymo Safety Report
In 2023, Waymo claimed only 3 crashes with injuries over 7.1 million miles driven, nearly twice as safe as a human driver.
2023: Waymo One area coverage increased by 45 square miles
In 2023, coverage of the Waymo One area was increased by 45 square miles (120 km), expanding to include downtown Mesa, uptown Phoenix, and South Mountain Village.
2023: "Coning" Protests Against Waymo
In 2023, the San Francisco group Safe Street Rebel used a practice called "coning" to trap Waymo and Cruise cars with traffic cones as a form of protest after claiming that the cars had been involved in hundreds of incidents.
2023: San Francisco Officials Log Potential Safety Hazards
In the first five months of 2023, San Francisco officials said they had logged more than 240 incidents in which a Cruise or Waymo vehicle might have created a safety hazard, despite California regulators not requiring Waymo to disclose every incident involving erratic behavior in its fleet.
February 2024: Waymo Robotaxi Strikes Cyclist and Issues Recalls
In February 2024, a driverless Waymo robotaxi struck a cyclist in San Francisco. Later that same month, Waymo issued recalls for 444 of its vehicles after two hit the same truck being towed on a highway.
May 2024: NHTSA Investigates Waymo Vehicles
In May 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation into potential flaws in Waymo vehicles, focusing on 31 incidents that included Waymo vehicles ramming into a closing gate, driving on the wrong side of the road, and at least 17 crashes or fires.
July 2024: Waymo begins testing sixth-generation robotaxis
In July 2024, Waymo began testing its sixth-generation robotaxis, based on electric vehicles by Zeekr, developed in a partnership first announced in 2021, anticipated to reduce costs.
October 2024: Waymo closes $5.6 billion funding round
In October 2024, Waymo closed a $5.6 billion funding round led by Alphabet, aimed at expanding its robotaxi services, bringing its total capital to over $11 billion.
October 2024: Waymo Offers 100,000 Paid Rides per Week
As of October 2024, Waymo was offering 100,000 paid rides per week across its Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles markets, highlighting its increasing operational scale.
2024: Waymo's Robotaxi Costs
As of 2024, Waymo's fifth-generation robotaxis were based on customized Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles that reportedly add up to $100,000 to vehicle costs, not including technician, service personnel, and real estate costs.
2024: NHTSA Receives Hundreds of Reports Involving Waymo Vehicles
By the end of 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had received 835 reports documenting 696 incidents involving Waymo vehicles.
2024: Vandalism and Attacks on Waymo Cars
During the 2024 Lunar New Year in San Francisco Chinatown, a mob of vandals attacked, graffitied, and set fire to a Waymo car. In 2024, passengers during a Waymo ride described an attack by an onlooker who attempted to cover the car's sensors.
2024: Waymo Raises $5.6 Billion Funding
In 2024 Waymo raised $5.6 billion funding.
2024: Opposition to Waymo Expansion
In 2024, the city attorney of San Francisco attempted to sue to prevent expansion of driverless vehicles including Waymo into San Francisco. San Mateo County government soon after also sent a letter to regulators opposing expansion to its county.
2024: Noise Pollution Complaints from Waymo Vehicles
In August of 2024, residents of San Francisco's SoMa district began to complain about noise pollution from Waymo vehicles honking at each other in a local parking lot. Waymo Director of Product & Ops, Vishay Nihalani has assured locals that the honking will be fixed as further software updates are implemented.
March 2025: Waymo Offers 200,000 Paid Rides Per Week
As of March 2025, Waymo was offering 200,000 paid rides per week in its existing markets, including Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
March 2025: Waymo Expands Robotaxi Services
In March 2025, Waymo expanded its commercial robotaxi services to Silicon Valley and Austin, Texas. In Austin, Waymo partnered with Uber, allowing riders to hail its self-driving vehicles through the Uber app.
April 2025: Waymo offers over 250,000 paid rides per week
As of April 2025, Waymo reported offering over 250,000 paid rides each week, with the total distance covered exceeding 1 million miles per month.
May 2025: Waymo receives regulatory approval to expand robotaxi service
In May 2025, Waymo received regulatory approval to expand its commercial robotaxi service into more areas of Silicon Valley, following approval from the California Public Utilities Commission, and it has ambitions to provide service to San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
May 2025: Waymo Recalls Vehicles Due to Software Glitch
Waymo recalled 1,212 vehicles running on its fifth-generation automated driving software in May 2025, due to a software glitch causing some cars to collide with roadway barriers.
July 2025: Waymo begins city mapping for expansion
As of July 2025, Waymo is actively mapping various cities in the United States, including Boston, Nashville, New Orleans, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, and San Diego, in preparation for expanding its robotaxi services. Preliminary pre-mapping work is also underway in Orlando, Houston, and San Antonio.
2025: Waymo Collision Study
A 2025 peer-reviewed study by Waymo researchers found that collisions with bicycles and motorcycles were 82% less frequent for Waymo cars than for human drivers, and that collisions with pedestrians were 92% less frequent.
2026: Waymo Plans to Launch in Washington D.C.
On March 25, Waymo announced it will launch a commercial robotaxi service in Washington D.C. in 2026, pending regulatory approval.
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