Waymo

​Google started experimenting with self-driving cars in 2009 and by the following year its small Californian fleet had logged 140,000 miles. Now called Waymo, the project has notched up 4 million self-driving miles on public roads, making a Waymo car the world's most experience driver.​

There are various driverless car trials taking place around the world, but these invariably involve a human at the wheel ready to take control in case of emergency. Google spin-off Waymo is moving into the next phase of testing, setting its driverless cars free on the roads of Phoenix.

​​For self-driving cars to become commonplace, they will need to be equipped to handle every possible traffic scenario that could come their way. That is why Google spin-off Waymo has begun training its Chrysler minivans to detect emergency vehicles and the sound of wailing sirens.

As self-driving cars edge closer, manufacturers are expanding the range of scenarios they face during testing. Waymo is now opening its cars up to the public in Phoenix, AZ, in an attempt to see how they handle the cut-and-thrust of daily family duties.

Chrysler has completed the production of 100 Pacifica Hybrid minivans built specifically for self-driving use by Waymo. The news is the first of note to come out of Waymo since it was spun-out from being Google's autonomous car project, with the vehicles to be used for self-driving testing.​