Waymo, the former Google self-driving project that spun out to become a business under Alphabet, has driven 8 million miles on public roads using its autonomous vehicles.

Waymo CEO John Krafcik shared the company’s milestone Friday while on stage with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval at the National Governors Association conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The figure is notable when compared to where Waymo was less than a year ago. In November, the company announced it had reached 4 million miles, meaning the company has been able to double the number of autonomous miles driven on public roads in just eight months. 

Waymo’s fleet of self-driving vehicles are now logging 25,000 miles every day on public roads, Krafick said.  He later tweeted out the stats along with a graphic.

The company also relies on simulation as it works to build an AI-based self-driving system that performs better than a human. In the past nine years, Waymo has “driven” more than 5 billion miles in its simulation, according to the company. That’s the equivalent to 25,000 virtual cars driving all day, everyday, the company says.

This newly shared goal, presumably reached by adding more self-driving vehicles to its fleet, signals Waymo is getting closer to launching a commercial driverless transportation service later this year. More than 400 residents in Phoenix have been trialing Waymo’s technology by using an app to hail self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans.

The company says it plans to launch its service later this year.

You can watch the full video with Sandoval and Krafick, which begins at the 46:40 mark.

Source: New feed