NEW YORK CITY, New York: Alphabet's Waymo has secured its first permit to test autonomous vehicles in New York City. This allows the company to begin trials in Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn as it expands its robotaxi operations across the U.S.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez confirmed the approval on August 22, saying Waymo will operate a limited number of vehicles with trained specialists behind the wheel to comply with state law.

While the cars will run in self-driving mode, state regulations require a human operator to be present at all times and ready to take control if needed.

Until now, Waymo has only conducted manual driving in the city. The company first brought vehicles to Manhattan in 2021 for mapping, data collection, and early testing, and resumed manual driving in July as it prepared for broader trials.

The approval marks a significant milestone for Waymo, which has been steadily scaling its fleet in the face of growing competition. Tesla, for instance, launched a limited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in June, with ambitions to cover half of the U.S. population by the end of 2025.

Waymo currently operates about 1,500 vehicles and has completed more than 10 million rides in five major cities, including San Francisco, Phoenix, and Austin.