Waymo, the self-driving technology unit of Alphabet, has announced that it will begin testing its autonomous vehicles in Philadelphia. This move is part of the company’s broader strategy to expand its presence in major metropolitan areas across the United States.

Starting this summer and continuing through the fall, Waymo will deploy a limited fleet of vehicles equipped with human safety drivers to navigate the streets of Pennsylvania’s largest city. The vehicles will be driven manually to gather data and gain a better understanding of the city’s unique driving environment.

In a social media post, Waymo described Philadelphia as a “National Treasure,” celebrating the city’s rich culture, resilience, and history. The company plans to test its vehicles throughout various neighborhoods, including North Central, Eastwick, University City, and as far east as the Delaware River. The testing will include both urban streets and freeways, allowing Waymo to evaluate its self-driving technology in a wide range of real-world conditions.

Waymo’s so-called “road trip” testing is designed to collect essential mapping data and assess how its autonomous system, known as the Waymo Driver, performs in new environments. These trials are an important step in determining whether a city is suitable for future commercial ride-hailing services powered by autonomous vehicles.

This expansion into Philadelphia follows a similar initiative launched last month in New York City, where Waymo began manually operating vehicles as a precursor to potential autonomous testing. The company has applied for permits to eventually operate self-driving vehicles in Manhattan, although current state laws still require a trained specialist to be behind the wheel.

Waymo is already operating its Waymo One service in cities like Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, where it provides over 250,000 paid autonomous rides each week. The company also has plans to launch fully autonomous services in Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C., by 2026.

While Waymo’s growth continues, its parent company Alphabet faces ongoing pressure to turn its cutting-edge artificial intelligence ventures into profitable businesses. In 2024, Alphabet’s “Other Bets” division, which includes Waymo, generated $1.65 billion in revenue—an increase from $1.53 billion the previous year. However, the segment reported a loss of $4.44 billion, highlighting the high costs associated with developing advanced autonomous technology.