Waymo has purchased a sprawling 5,201,73-acre test facility in Arizona from Route 14 Investment Partners LLC—a Delaware shell company linked to Apple—according to Maricopa County filings. The property, situated near other proving grounds in Wittman, Arizona, was acquired for $220 million. The transaction was documented on June 5. Waymo has confirmed the acquisition to TechCrunch. The deal strengthens and completes Waymo’s already extensive network of closed test tracks. The Alphabet-owned firm continues to utilize the Castle Proving Ground in California and the Transportation Research Center in Ohio. The Arizona site far surpasses both of them. It features a 115-acre urban course, a 35-acre vehicle dynamics area, a four-mile oval track, and a dedicated freeway course designed specifically for autonomous vehicle testing. A Waymo spokesperson informed TechCrunch that the facility will serve to simulate driving scenarios in a controlled setting, allowing the company to continuously test and enhance its self-driving technology. The company will specifically provide support for rider-only testing, motion control testing, operational training processes, and the gradual expansion of future testing activities. Apple acquired the property in 2021 for $125 million after having rented access to it for several years. The site had previously served as a testing ground for Fiat Chrysler.
