A Waymo has begun operating vehicles without a safety driver in Detroit, advancing to the fully autonomous phase of its expansion in the city. For now, trips are restricted to company employees, while the company prepares to open the service to the public.
The change was announced on Tuesday (6), after months of driving with specialists on board to familiarize the autonomous driving system with local streets and validate the operation. Waymo also worked with authorities and organizations in the region during this stage.
The vehicles will continue driving through downtown Detroit and areas such as Corktown, Midtown, Hamtramck and Indian Village. The intention is to gradually expand coverage to other parts of the metropolitan area.
The company, controlled by Alphabet, said that there is still no set date for the commercial launch. Access will be granted when the system has completed the safety validation process in the city and the local operation is ready to receive passengers.
Detroit represents a major challenge for Waymo's expansion because of winter conditions. The company was already running tests in Michigan focused on snow and ice and had announced, in November 2025, that it intended to use in the city its 6th generation of the Waymo Driver, also developed to operate in more severe weather conditions.
The removal of the safety driver is one of the last steps taken by Waymo before opening new cities. In other markets, the company first opens fully autonomous trips to employees and then gradually expands access to passengers. In September, Denver, San Diego and Tampa began receiving their first public users after going through this process.
