Waymo to double down on winter testing its robotaxis

Waymo regularly takes its autonomous vehicles on winter road trips to test the cars in snowy environments. In 2017, it was Michigan. Last year, it was Buffalo. 

This year, Waymo will hit multiple wintry locales, including Truckee, California; Upstate New York; and Michigan, from the Upper Peninsula to the metro Detroit area. 

Waymo didn’t say whether it would take its Zeekr vehicles up north for testing, but the company will be putting both its fifth- and sixth-generation Driver through its paces. The hardware for the sixth-generation Driver is designed for winter environments, with sensors that can melt snow off them. 

Details of the tests are scant, but we do know the tests will always feature a human safety driver behind the wheel.