Google spin-off Waymo to open ‘world’s first Level 4 AV’ factory in Michigan

Waymo, the company that began as Google’s driverless car project, has pledged to open a facility in Michigan, US, to produce advanced autonomous vehicles (AVs). In a statement, Waymo insisted: “This will be the world’s first factory 100% dedicated to the mass production of Level 4 AVs.” Level 4 automation means that no human interaction is required, and the vehicle is able to adjust in the case of things going wrong – but there is an option for manual override. This is still some way from Level 5, in
January 28, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
8621 Waymo, the company that began as Google’s driverless car project, has pledged to open a facility in Michigan, US, to produce advanced autonomous vehicles (AVs).


In a statement, Waymo insisted: “This will be the world’s first factory 100% dedicated to the mass production of Level 4 AVs.”

Level 4 automation means that no human interaction is required, and the vehicle is able to adjust in the case of things going wrong – but there is an option for manual override. This is still some way from Level 5, in which the driver is theoretically eliminated from the equation altogether.

Interestingly, Waymo says in its announcement that one of the state’s attractions are “excellent snowy conditions for our cars to test”.

Waymo is based in Mountain View, California, but currently has an operation Novi, Michigan, which employs around 20 people.

The company will use its new site to integrate its self-driving systems into the vehicles in its fleet, which currently include Fiat Chrysler and Jaguar Land Rover.

Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) says the move is expected to generate total private investment of $13.6 million and create 100 jobs - with the potential for up to 400 jobs. MEDC is offering a “performance-based grant” of up to $8 million.

However, timelines are vague, with Waymo saying it first has to choose a site and will then “over the next few years, aim to create hundreds of local jobs in the community”.

Waymo “plans to locate into a ready-to-go, light manufacturing facility space at a yet-to-be-determined location in south-east Michigan”, the MEDC statement suggests.

Networking & Communication Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Fast and efficient barrier-free electronic toll collection
    May 21, 2012
    Canada’s 407 tolled highway allows non-stop travel and a fast and efficient way of paying for it. Ontario’s 407 ETR highway features one of the most advanced barrier-free and all- electronic toll collection systems in the world. The company that operates the road launched the latest phase of its strategy to provide end-to-end automation in summer 2011. A self-service website is now available, allowing users to view and pay charges online using technology supplied by the international market leaders in e-bil
    Read More
  • C/AV integration is ‘legislative nightmare’, warns ITS UK president
    February 23, 2018
    The integration of connected and autonomous vehicles (C/AV) into existing road systems “is going to be a legislative nightmare”, warned a former UK government transport minister. Giving the keynote speech at this week’s MaaSMarket conference in London, ITS UK president Steven Norris, said: “Don’t underestimate the legislative challenges – which are infinitely more complex than the technical ones. I can’t think of any development in human history which has posed so many legislative questions.” Chief among
    Read More
  • Driverless cars will be on UK roads within four years, says minister
    October 4, 2018
    Fully driverless cars will enter the UK in three to four years, says transport secretary Chris Grayling at the Conservative Party conference in the city of Birmingham. A report by Reuters says Grayling is committed to ending the sale of new diesel and petrol cars by 2040. “Newer diesel cars today are cleaner than ever before and of course there will be a role for diesel for many years to come as technology evolves,” Grayling adds. However, OpenText has carried out a survey of 2,000 UK consumers,
    Read More
  • Vision technology: the future in focus
    November 23, 2018
    Just a few years ago, terms such as ‘embedded’ and ‘polarisation’ were buzzwords. But now they are real and present examples of vision technology in action – and, Adam Hill finds, the ITS industry is waking up to a number of possible applications Every aspect of the intelligent transportation systems industry moves quickly – but developments in camera technology change with a rapidity which can appear quite bewildering. And with ITS providers constantly searching for an edge against fierce competitio
    Read More

Highlighted Content