Robotaxis Are Coming To Detroit: What To Know

DETROIT — A self-driving taxi car is coming to Detroit.

Autonomous car company Waymo, which has had an engineering team in Novi, has already started testing its cars in Detroit. They will also be testing the cars for snowy and icy roads. They have also tested the cars in the Upper Peninsula to prepare for heavier snow.

Waymo said Detroiters will soon see their cars, but they did not say exactly when they will start carrying passengers.

"Starting next week, you’ll see us manually driving around the city as we familiarize ourselves with Detroit’s historic streets before moving to autonomous operations," Waymo said in a press release. "We'll arrive with a mixed fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles with the 5th-gen Waymo Driver and Zeekr RT vehicles equipped with our 6th-gen Waymo Driver, which will be key to driving in winter weather."

Passengers can call for a Waymo ride though its app. The platform operates similarly to Uber and Lyft.

Waymo is also adding locations in San Diego and Las Vegas. They have recently expanded to Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin. The new Detroit location will be the company's first northern location, or spot where it will have to run through rain, sleet and snow.