Waymo to begin testing its driverless cars in Tokyo next year

Self-driving cars have been around for a while now. If you're interested in this stuff, you've probably seen videos of funny encounters between law enforcement and self-driving cars. Now, Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet (the folks that own Google), has announced that they will start testing their autonomous vehicles in Tokyo early next year.

Testing their tech in Japan will be Waymo's first international venture. Tokyo residents, don't get too excited though. Remember, this is just a test. Waymo will be partnering with Nihon Kotsu (which is Japan's biggest taxi operator) and the taxi app GO for this test.

This test will involve Nihon Kotsu drivers taking the Waymo cars for a spin. Even though these cars are "driverless," they can still be manually operated, just not by regular users. The reason for this is that Waymo needs to get familiar with key areas of Tokyo. So, these drivers will operate the vehicles to map the area. In terms of regulation, Waymo says:

We are engaging with Japanese policymakers, regulators, and local safety officials to ensure a responsible and seamless implementation of Waymo's technology to Tokyo's streets.

Now, let's talk about some issues surrounding autonomous vehicles. Recently, General Motors (GM) decided to abandon its driverless taxi project due to challenges faced following a significant accident last year. The company had invested over $10 billion since 2016 in the Cruise robotaxi vehicle but is now shifting its focus to developing advanced driver assistance systems for personal vehicles.

This decision comes after an incident where a Cruise driverless car was involved in an accident, leading to regulatory issues and workforce reductions. Competitive pressures and substantial resources required to scale the robotaxi business also influenced GM's decision.

Elon Musk's Tesla has come under fire from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over its "Full Self-Driving" feature. The agency’s not happy with Tesla’s claims that their cars can drive themselves without any input from the driver, especially since drivers still need to be alert and ready to take over.