Several autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies have been actively tested on roads in the United States. Here are some key examples of self-driving tech undergoing real-world trials:
- Toyota and Aurora Innovation have cooperated to test self-driving Toyota Sienna minivans equipped with Aurora’s autonomous system on highways and city streets around Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. These tests include complex routes like airport transfers while still requiring safety drivers onboard.
- Waymo, Google’s sister company specialized in autonomous vehicles, operates robotaxi services in cities like San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. Waymo has completed over 100,000 paid autonomous trips per week in parts of the US as of mid-2024, with plans to expand their operational areas to cities like Austin.
- Tesla is a major player with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system tested widely on US roads. Though not fully autonomous yet, Tesla vehicles employ AI-powered computer vision using cameras to navigate city and highway environments, with FSD contributing significant revenue as an optional upgrade.
- Nvidia’s AI platform for autonomous driving has been tested in California on public roads as part of partnerships with automakers including Mercedes-Benz, Ford, General Motors, and Tesla. Nvidia’s technology focuses on real-time processing of diverse sensor data to improve driver assistance and autonomous features.
- Pittsburgh was the site of early tests for autonomous taxi services (Uber ATG), marking one of the first real applications of self-driving taxis on public roads in the US, paving the way for broader deployment of autonomous ride-hailing.
Overall, the US is seeing active road testing and limited commercial deployment of Level 3 to Level 4 autonomous driving systems, mostly with safety drivers onboard, but aiming to evolve toward fully driverless operations in the near future. These tests span urban centers, highways, and mixed-use environments, showcasing the industry’s push to bring practical autonomous tech to everyday roads.