Waymo in Toronto

faqs

• faqs

  • When and where will you be driving?

    We will soon begin conducting extensive trials of Waymo’s technology as part of our mapping and safety validation work across select neighbourhoods in Toronto, including Yorkville, St. Lawrence, Harbourfront, Leaside, Bedford Park, Roncesvalles Village, Parkdale, Don Mills, Rosedale, Summerhill, Yonge & Eglinton, Mimico, The Kingsway, Islington, and Humber Bay, as well as Malton, Lakeview, and Applewood in the City of Mississauga.
    
    We are not yet offering commercial rides, but our testing hours typically run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to ensure our technology can safely handle all of Toronto’s road conditions. All testing on public roads in Toronto will be conducted as part of  Ontario’s Automated Vehicle Pilot Program (AVPP).

  • What brings you to my neighbourhood?

    If you see a Waymo vehicle in your neighbourhood, it’s because we hope to serve you one day. We are likely mapping and validating our technology in your specific area. We aim to gather data across the widest possible range of Toronto’s unique street layouts and driving conditions to ensure the Waymo Driver is robust and prepared for future operation.

  • Do you need permission from the government to operate in Toronto?

    Yes. We’ve been approved to take part in the Automated Vehicle Pilot Program, receiving our official provincial permit from Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation to begin manual driving and testing. We will continue to work with regulators to ensure we have the proper permits in hand through every phase of our operations.

  • When can I try one?

    We are working to bring fully autonomous ride-hailing to Toronto as soon as we can. The best way to stay informed about our expansion and service launch is to sign up here. We will notify you as soon as our commercial service becomes available in your area.

  • What is the purpose of manual driving?

    Experience is the best teacher. Waymo drives on public roads to introduce and refine its autonomous driving technology in real-world conditions, enabling it to adapt to the specific nuances of each city’s roadways.

  • What kind of experience/background do the autonomous specialists have?

    Our autonomous specialists who are present in the vehicle during testing are highly trained professionals. They often have a background in professional driving or vehicle operations, combined with technical expertise in software and system troubleshooting. They undergo rigorous internal training and certification to understand autonomous system fundamentals, safety protocols, and emergency procedures.

  • Does the Waymo Driver operate in the snow?

    Today, we operate at freezing temperatures in the U.S., including with frost and hail, and we’re validating our system to navigate harsher weather conditions.

  • Will Toronto be your first city with winter weather conditions?

    No. We currently operate in a handful of cities that receive snow annually. Waymo has invested in weather testing since its earliest days as Google's Self-Driving Car Project. We've regularly tested throughout Michigan's notorious winters and in various conditions from coast to coast, building our technology for all-season operations.

  • How does snow impact the autonomous system?

    Snow has similar effects on our autonomous driving system as it does on a human driver. We teach our system to recognize when it's snowy, have the proper mitigations in place to scrape and clear snow from our sensors (much like a human driver would clear windows and lights), and adjust our driving behavior to account for road conditions like snow and ice.

  • Will Waymo drive during snowy conditions (even blizzards)?

    We've built our 6th generation Waymo Driver to safely navigate more diverse environments, including those with extreme winter weather. That said, we will abide by local guidelines as we operate through winter weather conditions. There are conditions that any driver — human or autonomous — should not drive in and we will prioritize safety and adjust operations as needed.

  • Are you filming what's around the vehicle?

    Our vehicles are equipped with a suite of sensors—including cameras, lidar, and radar—that continuously perceive the world around the vehicle. This is essential for the Waymo Driver to safely navigate its surroundings, spot things like cyclists and lorries, and obey all traffic signals. This data is used solely to develop and validate our safety-critical autonomous driving technology.

  • What is Waymo’s commitment to privacy?

    Waymo is excited to start operations in Toronto, including mapping and safety validation. Part of our mission is building a service to benefit all Toronto road users and help them move more safely around the city. That includes ensuring Waymo's operations meet all applicable Canadian privacy laws. You can learn more about our Services Privacy Policy here.

  • Will you continue to partner with Magna on the integration of Waymo's technology into the vehicles used in Canada?

    Yes, Magna is a long-standing Waymo investor and all vehicles tested In Canada will be upfitted with Waymo's technology by Waymo and Magna in our Arizona facility.

  • Where can I find more information about Waymo and stay up-to-date?

    You can sign up for updates to be notified when we launch our commercial service. You can also stay up-to-date with our latest news and expansion plans by visiting the official Waymo website, subscribing to our blog (Waypoint), and following our official social media channels (X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok).