In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Waymo, Apple, STEER Beep, indie, Toyota, Tier IV, QCraft, Qualcomm, Baidu, Tesla, Volvo & Aurora. In this Article Waymo Acquires Former Apple Autonomous Vehicle Test Facility in Arizona for $220 Million Waymo has purchased a 5,500-acre autonomous vehicle proving ground in Wittmann, Arizona, from Apple’s holding company, Route 14 Investment Partners, for approximately $220 million. The facility was previously developed as a key testing site for Apple’s now-cancelled Project Titan self-driving car program. The expansive site includes a simulated urban driving environment, a vehicle dynamics course, a four-mile oval track, and a dedicated freeway testing area, making it one of the most comprehensive autonomous vehicle testing facilities in the United States. Waymo plans to use the proving ground for rider-only testing, validation of vehicle motion-control systems, operational training, and future development programs. The acquisition gives the company its largest closed-course testing facility, complementing its existing testing operations and supporting the continued expansion of its autonomous ride-hailing service. The purchase aligns with Waymo’s broader growth strategy as it scales its robotaxi fleet and increases vehicle production through partnerships involving vehicles such as the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Zeekr RT. The Arizona location is also close to Waymo’s vehicle integration operations in Mesa, where autonomous driving hardware is installed in new vehicles. Beyond its practical value, the acquisition highlights the contrasting outcomes of two major autonomous vehicle efforts. While Apple ended its self-driving vehicle program in 2024 after years of investment, Waymo continues to expand its testing infrastructure and commercial robotaxi operations, taking ownership of a facility originally intended to support Apple’s autonomous driving ambitions. Waymo ReD Human Driver Benchmark Waymo has introduced ReD (Reference Driver), a new behavioral model designed to evaluate how autonomous vehicles respond to potential crashes by comparing their performance to