Waymo just got approval to start testing its self-driving vehicles in New York City

Group 1 - Waymo has received approval to test its autonomous vehicles in New York City, marking a significant milestone in the self-driving car industry [1][2] - The testing will allow up to eight autonomous vehicles to operate in Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn until late September, with the possibility of extending the pilot period [2] - A trained autonomous vehicle specialist must be present in the vehicle at all times during the testing [2] Group 2 - Waymo currently provides driverless taxi services in several locations, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta [3] - Tesla is also interested in testing autonomous vehicles in New York but has not yet applied for a permit, despite hiring prototype vehicle operators for data collection [3] - Amazon-backed Zoox is developing a robotaxi without steering wheels and is testing it in various US cities, but not in New York City [4]