Waymo has added a major new asset to support its growing robotaxi business, acquiring the former Arizona proving ground used by Apple during its decade-long effort to develop its own self-driving vehicle technology.
The 5,500-acre facility, located near Wittmann, Arizona, was purchased for US$220 million, according to property records filed with Maricopa County. The site was once a key testing location for Apple’s now-defunct Project Titan, but will now be used by Waymo to help expand and refine its autonomous driving platform.
The acquisition gives Waymo one of the largest dedicated autonomous vehicle testing sites in North America and significantly expands its already extensive validation infrastructure.
A facility built for autonomous vehicle development
The proving ground offers far more than a simple test track. The site includes a 115 acre mock city environment, a 35 acre vehicle dynamics area, a 4 mile high-speed oval, and a purpose-built freeway course designed specifically for autonomous vehicle testing.
Waymo confirmed the acquisition with TechCrunch and said the facility will be used to create controlled driving scenarios that help evaluate and improve its self-driving technology.
According to the company, the Arizona site will support rider-only testing, motion control development, operational training programs, and future expansion of testing activities as its robotaxi business continues to grow.
The purchase complements Waymo’s existing test facilities, including Castle Proving Ground in California and the Transportation Research Center in Ohio. However, the Arizona property is considerably larger than either of those locations.
From Project Titan to robotaxis
The sale puts perhaps the final nail in the coffin on Apple’s decade-long effort to develop self-driving vehicle technology.
Apple launched Project Titan in 2014 and spent billions of dollars pursuing various concepts, ranging from a fully autonomous passenger vehicle to advanced driver-assistance systems that could be licensed to automakers. At its peak, thousands of employees were reported to be working on the project.
The Arizona proving ground became one of the project’s key assets after Apple purchased the facility for $125 million in 2021. Before Apple took ownership, the site had been used by Fiat Chrysler for vehicle durability and hot-weather testing.
Apple officially abandoned Project Titan in early 2024, reassigning many employees to artificial intelligence initiatives.
Supporting Waymo’s growth
The acquisition comes as Waymo continues to scale its commercial robotaxi operations across the United States. The company now operates in more than 10 cities, including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta. Waymo has also begun introducing new autonomous vehicle platforms, including the Zeekr robotaxi van dubbed ‘Ojai.’
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