Apple Spent Billions Chasing A Self-Driving Car, Then Walked Away—Waymo Now Bought The Test Site For $220 Million

Alphabet Inc.-backed (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Waymo has reportedly acquired Apple Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:AAPL) self-driving proving facility in Arizona for $220 million.

Waymo Acquires Apple Facility

On Monday, the Phoenix Business Journal first reported that Waymo acquired the property from Delaware-based Route 14 Investment Partners LLC, which is associated with Apple. The 5,500-acre facility includes a 115-acre city course, as well as a four-mile oval track and a freeway course.

Waymo didn’t immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment.

Apple acquired it for $125 million in 2021, with the Cupertino-based giant undertaking development efforts for proprietary self-driving technology since 2014 under the project “Titan” initiative. However, it was ultimately scrapped in 2024 after having spent over $1 billion annually on the project.

Waymo’s Uber Solution, Robotaxi Recall

While Waymo has been at the forefront of the U.S. Robotaxi revolution, the company has faced a few hiccups recently, with a Waymo customer reportedly asking to hail an Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) or a Lyft Inc. (NASDAQ:LYFT) cab after the Robotaxi abruptly ended the ride.

Waymo also operates in cities like Atlanta in partnership with Uber. However, some of the ride-hailing giant’s executives painted AV-only operators like Waymo as less scalable and less reliable. The executives, instead, touted a hybrid approach with human drivers and Robotaxis being offered on ride-hailing platforms.

The operator also issued a recall for over 3,791 autonomous vehicles after a software glitch affecting its latest self-driving stack came to light. The issue stems from a glitch that could likely cause the Robotaxis to drive onto flooded roads.

Following the reports, a Waymo spokesperson said that the company had filed a “voluntary recall” with the authorities after identifying an “area of improvement regarding untraversable flooded lanes” specific to highways. Notably, Waymo currently operates in more than 10 cities across the U.S.

According to Benzinga Edge Rankings, GOOGL offers excellent Momentum, Quality and Growth. It also provides a favorable price trend in the Short, Medium and Long term.

Price Action: Alphabet shares were down 0.08% at $363.03 during the after-hours session on Monday.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock