Waymo plans to begin collecting street data in Toronto within days, following Ontario’s approval for it to join the province’s automated-vehicle pilot.
The approval places Waymo in Ontario’s testing program. Ontario says its rules set conditions for vehicle trials and permit driverless testing in some cases.
Waymo said Oct. 16 it would have drivers collect local road details for its maps. Waymo says a safety operator would be aboard during any later public-road evaluations.
Waymo has arranged local fleet support with Toronto-based Element Fleet Management, expanding a multiyear relationship between the companies. The companies previously outlined Waymo’s partnership with Element Fleet Management.
Potential work includes vehicle upkeep, route checks, customer support and operations; Waymo estimates the project could support hundreds of positions. The companies have not provided a hiring timetable or total headcount, and they have not said how operating costs will be divided.
Waymo is targeting 2028 for its first Toronto passenger rides, but has not announced an opening date, fleet size or service area. Ontario’s timetable schedules revocation of the pilot regulation for Oct. 13, 2027. Waymo has not specified which rules would govern commercial service after the pilot ends, a question addressed in EconoTimes’ earlier report on the regulatory timetable.
