Waymo adds Atlanta to its self driving car roadmap

Waymo adds Atlanta to its self-driving car roadmap.
SAN FRANCISCO — Atlanta could be next up for a full-fledged self-driving car program, following in the footsteps of Phoenix where Google-owned Waymo is poised to debut a commercial autonomous ride-hailing service later this year.

Waymo tweeted Monday that it has targeted the Big Peach for evolving series of self-driving car tests. While details are scarce — Waymo only said that it has begun mapping the city — its plans could echo those following in Arizona, where a fleet of minivans without drivers has been picking up selected passengers since November.

"Hello ATL! Metro Atlanta is the next stop for Waymo's test program," reads the missive.

Waymo, the commercial name of Google's nine-year-old self-driving car program, has been shuttling passengers around in the Phoenix area for the better part of a year now. Last fall, it opted to take the safety driver out of the driver's seat — a big step toward the ultimate goal of a truly self-driving ride-hailing network.