Waymo To Open Autonomous Vehicle Factory In Detroit

DETROIT, MI — Waymo, Google's self-driving car company, will build self-driving cars in Detroit.

The company announced they were coming to the Motor City to open a new facility. The news was shared in a blog post.

"We wanted this facility to benefit from a location in southeast Michigan — the heart of the American automotive industry — and its strong talent base,” the announcement reads. “We began looking for a facility that would allow us to quickly get up and running by mid-2019, while offering us the flexibility to continue to grow and expand our operations in Michigan over time and where there was a strong pool of talent across engineering, operations, and fleet coordination."

According to the post, they found the perfect location in Detroit and will partner with American Axle & Manufacturing to repurpose an existing facility.

The company touted bringing “a workforce back to an area where jobs in the automotive industry were recently lost.”

Waymo worked with Gov.Gretchen Whitmer, Former Gov.Rick Snyder, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for their partnership and support.

“By choosing to establish its new facility in Detroit, Waymo is continuing the city’s momentum and further cementing Michigan as a leader in mobility and the epicenter of advanced automotive manufacturing,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “More and more Silicon Valley companies are looking to grow in Michigan as they realize the competitive advantages Michigan has to offer: high-tech engineering resources, top-notch research and design, and a highly skilled workforce matched with a low cost of living and low cost of doing business. We are pleased to welcome Waymo to Detroit and look forward to working with the company as it moves forward and brings jobs to Michigan residents.”

Mayor Mike Duggan shared, “Today’s announcement by Waymo shows that the City of Detroit remains at the center of the future of the auto industry. Waymo could have located the world’s first 100% dedicated Level 4 autonomous vehicle factory anywhere. We deeply appreciate the confidence John Krafcik and the Waymo team are showing in the Motor City.”

In January, Waymo said it will be the world’s first factory dedicated “100 percent” to the mass production of Level 4 autonomous vehicles. The state said the $13.6 million project will create 100 new jobs and potentially 300 more later.