Waymo has successfully acquired a sprawling 5,500-acre testing ground in Arizona from Route 14 Investment Partners LLC, a company linked to Apple, as indicated by official documents filed in Maricopa County.
The acquisition, valued at $220 million, was finalized on June 5, and Waymo has confirmed the transaction to TechCrunch. This new facility enhances Waymo's extensive network of private testing courses, which includes locations in California and Ohio, although this Arizona site significantly surpasses them in size.
The Arizona proving ground features a diverse range of testing environments, including a 115-acre mock city, a 35-acre vehicle dynamics area, a 4-mile oval track, and a freeway course specifically designed for autonomous vehicle evaluations. A Waymo representative stated that the site will facilitate the simulation of various driving scenarios in a controlled setting, allowing for continuous testing and enhancement of their self-driving technologies. This will include rider-only testing, motion control assessments, operational training, and future testing expansions.
Apple originally purchased the property in 2021 for $125 million after using it for years under a leasing arrangement. The facility was previously utilized by Fiat Chrysler for testing vehicles and components under extreme weather conditions, featuring various road surfaces and a high-speed oval track.
Apple had employed the site for its car project, known as Project Titan, which ultimately faced discontinuation in early 2024 after substantial investments. The Phoenix Business Journal first reported on this acquisition.
Waymo is currently undergoing a significant expansion, with its fleet nearing 4,000 vehicles. The company has recently begun deploying new vans manufactured by Zeekr, with ambitions to produce tens of thousands of robotaxis annually, incorporating models like the Zeekr van and the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
These Zeekr vehicles are sent to Waymo's Arizona facility for installation of the self-driving technology. Waymo's presence in Phoenix and Maricopa County has been growing since it began testing its autonomous technology in the Chandler suburb in 2017, which was also the first area to introduce a commercial robotaxi service. The company has since expanded its operations to over 10 U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Austin, and Atlanta.