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 Alphabet Inc. (Google's parent company), Waymo develops self-driving technology with the goal of improving transportation safety and accessibility. The company's efforts are focused on creating fully autonomous vehicles capable of navigating various environments without human intervention, offering potential solutions for ride-hailing, delivery services, and personal transportation.

2004: DARPA Grand Challenge

In 2004, Levandowski's Berkeley team built the Ghost Rider motorcycle for the DARPA Grand Challenge.

2005: Stanford's Stanley in the DARPA Challenge

In 2005, before the team worked at Google, Thrun and engineers built Stanley for Stanford's entry in the DARPA Challenges.

2005: Stanford Racing Team Competes in DARPA Grand Challenge

In 2005, the Stanford Racing Team, the origin of Waymo, competed in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge.

2007: Stanford's Junior in the DARPA Challenge

In 2007, before the team worked at Google, Thrun and engineers built Junior for Stanford's entry in the DARPA Challenges.

2007: Stanford Racing Team Competes in DARPA Grand Challenge

In 2007, the Stanford Racing Team competed in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenges.

February 2008: Levandowski approached for Prototype This!

In February 2008, a producer from Discovery Channel's "Prototype This!" contacted Levandowski to borrow his Ghost Rider motorcycle, leading to an offer to retrofit a Toyota Prius for self-driving pizza delivery on the show.

December 2008: Pribot Pizza Delivery Episode Aired

In December 2008, the episode of "Prototype This!" aired, showcasing Pribot, a self-driving Toyota Prius delivering pizza across the San Francisco Bay Bridge.

2008: Project Ground Truth Launched

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

In January 2009, Google started developing self-driving technology, spearheaded by Sebastian Thrun and Anthony Levandowski.

January 2009: Google Greenlights Self-Driving Car Program

In January 2009, the success of Levandowski's project led Google to greenlight Google's self-driving car program.

January 17, 2009: Google's Self-Driving Car Project Begins

On January 17, 2009, Google's self-driving car project began at Google X lab, led by Sebastian Thrun and Anthony Levandowski.

2009: Google Spent $1.1 Billion on Self-Driving Car Project

Google spent $1.1 billion on the self-driving car project between 2009 and 2015.

2009: Google Begins Testing Self-Driving Cars in San Francisco Bay Area

In 2009, Google began testing its self-driving cars in the San Francisco Bay Area.

October 9, 2010: Google's Self-Driving Project Revealed by The New York Times

On October 9, 2010, The New York Times revealed the existence of Google's self-driving car project, which Google announced later that same day.

October 2010: Google's Self-Driving Project Revealed

After nearly two years of road testing, Google's self-driving project was revealed to the public in October 2010.

2010: Lawmakers Express Concerns Over Autonomous Vehicles

Starting in 2010, lawmakers in various states began expressing concerns over how to regulate autonomous vehicles.

2011: Google Acquires 510 Systems and Anthony's Robots

In 2011, Google acquired 510 Systems and Anthony's Robots for an estimated US$20 million, integrating their technology into the self-driving car project.

March 1, 2012: Nevada Law on Autonomous Vehicles Goes Into Effect

On March 1, 2012, a related Nevada law regarding the regulation of autonomous vehicles went into effect.

May 2012: First US License for a Self-Driven Car

In May 2012, a modified Toyota Prius was licensed by the Nevada DMV, becoming the first US license for a self-driven car, driven by Chris Urmson with Anthony Levandowski as the passenger.

December 2013: States Pass Laws Permitting Autonomous Cars

By December 2013, Nevada, Florida, California, and Michigan had passed laws permitting autonomous cars, while a law proposed in Texas allowed testing.

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 that included autonomous vehicles as a transport method.

June 2015: Waymo Vehicles Reach 1 Million Miles Driven

In June 2015, Waymo announced that their vehicles had driven over 1,000,000 miles, encountering 200,000 stop signs, 600,000 traffic lights, and 180 million other vehicles.

July 2015: Google 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. Google maintained that, in all but one case, the vehicle was not at fault.

August 2015: John Krafcik Hired as CEO

In August 2015, Google hired former Hyundai Motor executive, John Krafcik, as CEO of the self-driving car project.

October 2015: Google Takes First Driverless Ride on Public Roads

In October 2015, Google took its first driverless ride on public roads, when Mahan took a 10-minute ride around Austin in a Google pod car with no steering wheel or pedals.

December 1, 2015: Waymo autonomous miles driven reported

From December 1, 2015, Waymo reported a total of 636,868 miles covered by the fleet in autonomous mode, and the associated 124 disengagements, through November 30, 2016.

2015: Google Spent $1.1 Billion on Self-Driving Car Project

Google spent $1.1 billion on the self-driving car project between 2009 and 2015.

2015: Testing of the Firefly Prototype Planned for San Francisco Bay Area

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 First Fully Driverless Ride on Public Roads

In the fall of 2015, Google provided "the world's first fully driverless ride on public roads".

March 2016: General Motors Acquires Cruise Automation

For comparison, the acquisition of Cruise Automation by General Motors in March 2016 was for $500 million.

May 2016: Google and Stellantis Announce Order of 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.

June 2016: Google's Test Driven Fleet

As of June 2016, Google had test driven its fleet of vehicles in autonomous mode a total of 1,725,911 miles.

August 2016: Uber Acquires Otto

For comparison, Uber's acquisition of Otto in August 2016 was for $680 million.

August 2016: Google's Car Traveled a Total of Miles

In August 2016 alone, Google's cars traveled a total of 170,000 miles; of those, 126,000 miles were autonomous.

November 30, 2016: Waymo autonomous miles driven reported

Through November 30, 2016, Waymo reported a total of 636,868 miles covered by the fleet in autonomous mode, and the associated 124 disengagements, for the period from December 1, 2015.

December 2016: Project Renamed Waymo and Spun Out of Google

In December 2016, the self-driving car project was renamed Waymo and spun out of Google as part of Alphabet, derived from "a new way forward in mobility".

February 2017: Waymo sues Uber and Otto for trade secret theft and patent infringement

In February 2017, Waymo sued Uber and its subsidiary self-driving trucking company, Otto, alleging trade secret theft and patent infringement. The company claimed that three ex-Google employees, including Anthony Levandowski, had stolen trade secrets from Google before joining Uber.

October 2017: Waymo Begins Testing Minivans Without Safety Driver

In October 2017, Waymo began testing minivans without a safety driver on public roads in Chandler, Arizona.

March 2018: Waymo Orders 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.

March 2018: Waymo plans self-driving truck experiments

In March 2018, Waymo announced its plans for experiments with the company's self-driving trucks delivering freight to Google data centers in Atlanta, Georgia.

May 2018: Alphabet Plans to Add Pacifica Hybrid Minivans to Fleet

In late May 2018, Alphabet announced plans to add up to 62,000 Pacifica Hybrid minivans to the fleet.

July 2018: Uber halts production of self-driving trucks through Otto

Uber announced that it was halting production of self-driving trucks through Otto in July 2018, and the subsidiary company was shuttered.

October 2018: Waymo receives permit for driverless car operation

In October 2018, the California Department of Motor Vehicles issued a permit for Waymo to operate cars without safety drivers. Waymo was the first company to receive a permit that allowed day and night testing on public roads and highways. Waymo announced that its service would include Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, and Palo Alto.

December 2018: Waymo One service launched

In December 2018, Waymo launched Waymo One, which is a service that provides passenger transportation. Some rides were monitored by safety drivers while others were 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, bringing between 100 and 400 jobs to the area.

July 2019: Waymo receives permission to transport passengers

In July 2019, Waymo received permission to transport passengers, marking a significant regulatory milestone for the company's autonomous vehicle program.

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 major milestone in the development of self-driving technology.

January 2020: Waymo completes 20 million miles on public roads

By January 2020, Waymo had completed twenty million miles (32,000,000 km) of driving on public roads, showcasing the extensive testing and development of its autonomous driving technology.

March 2020: Waymo Via Launched

In March 2020, Waymo Via was launched after the company's announcement that it had raised $2.25 billion from investors.

May 2020: Waymo Raises Additional Funding

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, including the development of Ram ProMaster delivery vehicles.

July 2020: Waymo Partners with Volvo

In July 2020, Waymo announced an exclusive partnership with auto manufacturer Volvo to integrate Waymo technology.

October 2020: Waymo Offers Service Without Safety Drivers

In October 2020, Waymo became the first company to offer self-driving service to the public without safety drivers in the vehicle.

2020: Waymo Via launched

Waymo Via launched in 2020 to work with OEMs to get its technology into vehicles. Waymo is testing Class 8 tractor-trailers in Atlanta, and southwest shipping routes across Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

April 2021: Krafcik Replaced by Co-CEOs

In April 2021, Krafcik was replaced by two co-CEOs: Waymo's COO Tekedra Mawakana and CTO Dmitri Dolgov.

June 2021: Waymo Raises $2.5 Billion in Funding

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 begins in San Francisco

In August 2021, commercial Waymo One test service started in San Francisco, beginning with a "trusted tester" rollout, marking an expansion of Waymo's autonomous ride-hailing service.

August 2021: Waymo Launches Consumer Testing Program in San Francisco

Waymo launched a consumer testing program in San Francisco in August 2021.

2021: Partnership Announced

In 2021, a partnership with Chinese automobile company Zeekr, was first announced.

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 the public release of data related to driverless car crashes, arguing the data contained trade secrets regarding emergency handling, navigation in challenging environments like San Francisco's tunnels and steep hills, and responses to unexpected autonomous driving behavior.

February 2022: Waymo Prevents Release of Robotaxi Safety Records

In February 2022, Waymo successfully prevented the release of its robotaxi safety records, while a company spokesperson stated Waymo would remain transparent about its safety record.

March 2022: Waymo offers driverless rides for staff in San Francisco

In March 2022, Waymo began offering rides for Waymo staff in San Francisco without a driver, representing further advancements in its autonomous vehicle technology.

May 2022: Waymo Pilot Program in Phoenix, Arizona

In May 2022, Waymo started a pilot program seeking riders in downtown Phoenix, Arizona and announced the expansion of the program to more areas of Phoenix.

June 2022: Waymo Partners with Uber

In June 2022, Waymo announced a partnership with Uber to integrate its autonomous technology into Uber's freight truck service, with plans to expand the program to Los Angeles announced in late 2022.

December 13, 2022: Waymo Applies for Final Permit for Autonomous Taxis in California

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's Funding Rounds

By 2022, Waymo had raised US$5.5 billion in multiple outside funding rounds.

January 2023: Waymo Staff Affected by Google Layoffs

In January 2023, The Information reported that Waymo staff were among those affected by Google's layoffs of around 12,000 workers and TechCrunch reported that Waymo was set to kill its trucking program.

May 2023: Waymo Robotaxi kills a dog in San Francisco

A Waymo Robotaxi killed a dog in San Francisco while in "autonomous mode" in May 2023.

2023: Cruise Operations Suspended

Around October 2024, the New York Times described Waymo as being "far ahead of the competition", in particular after Cruise had to suspend its operations after an accident in 2023.

2023: Waymo claims crash safety

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 Expanded

In 2023, coverage of the Waymo One area was increased by 45 square miles, expanding to include downtown Mesa, uptown Phoenix, and South Mountain Village.

February 2024: Waymo Robotaxi strikes cyclist, 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 potential flaws in 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 which are based on electric vehicles by Chinese automobile company Zeekr, and were 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 offering 100,000 paid rides per week

As of October 2024, Waymo is offering 100,000 paid rides per week across its Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles markets, demonstrating the growing scale of its commercial operations.

December 2024: Waymo announces first international expansion in Tokyo, Japan

In December 2024, Waymo announced its first international expansion with testing in Tokyo, Japan in partnership with Nihon Kotsu and Japan's GO taxi app.

2024: Waymo's Fifth-Generation Robotaxis

As of 2024, Waymo's fifth-generation robotaxis were based on Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles augmented with automatic driving equipment that costs up to $100,000.

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, raising safety concerns about the autonomous vehicle technology.

2024: Waymo Raised Funding

In 2024, Waymo raised $5.6 billion in funding.

2024: Complaints about noise pollution from Waymo vehicles in San Francisco

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 is working to fix the problem.

January 19, 2025: Fatal accident involves unoccupied Waymo car

On January 19, 2025, the first fatal accident involving a Waymo occurred in San Francisco, when a Tesla struck multiple vehicles, including an unoccupied Waymo car, resulting in the death of one person and injury of seven others.

March 2025: Waymo offering 200,000 paid rides per week

As of March 2025, Waymo is offering 200,000 paid rides per week in its existing markets, including Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles, indicating significant growth in its ride-hailing service.

March 2025: Waymo expands robotaxi services to Silicon Valley and Austin, Texas

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 expands robotaxi program to new locations

As of April 2025, Waymo’s robotaxi program is operating in several districts of Miami. Additionally, preparatory testing is taking place in Coral Gables. In Tokyo, Waymo is launching its preparatory testing in several districts. And in Atlanta, Waymo has announced its intent to launch robotaxi services during Summer 2025.