Waymo bought Apple’s self-driving car proving ground for $220M

The Phoenix Business Journal was the first to spot the document.

Waymo is in the middle of a dramatic expansion of its fleet, which currently stands at close to 4,000 vehicles. The company recently started offering the first rides in its new van, which is made by Zeekr. Waymo has said it wants to make tens of thousands of robotaxis per year, including the Zeekr van and the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

The Zeekr vehicles are sent to Waymo’s Arizona factory, where they are then outfitted with the company’s self-driving system. 

Waymo has a growing commercial footprint in Phoenix and Maricopa County. The company began testing its autonomous vehicle technology in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler back in 2017. The area would be Waymo’s first market to offer a commercial robotaxi service. 

Waymo has since expanded to more than 10 U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Austin, and Atlanta.