Waymo is dreaming of a white Christmas.
The self-driving car unit from Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) said Thursday, Oct. 26, that it's expanding autonomous vehicle testing to Michigan in order to test its units in harrowing winter weather.
"For human drivers, the mix of winter conditions can affect how well you can see, and the way your vehicle handles the road," Waymo said in a statement. "The same is true for self-driving cars."
Before the first snowfall in Michigan, which could happen before Halloween, Waymo will start testing its self-driving models on the state's roads. They'll practice maneuvering through snow, sleet and ice, Waymo said, to offer insight as to how the cars' sensors perform in wet and cold conditions.
Waymo will test most of the autonomous units in the greater Detroit area. The company opened a 53,000-square-foot self-driving technology development center in nearby Novi, Michigan, in May 2016. Michigan is the sixth state in which Waymo will test its self-driving cars, joining Texas, Arizona, Washington, Nevada and California.
Alphabet stock traded slightly higher 0.65% to $997.93 premarket Thursday.
Alphabet is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio . Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells GOOGL? Learn more now.
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