---
title: "Waymo Gets Approval to Open Driverless Car Factory in Michigan"
description: "Waymo received approval from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to build a driverless car factory in the state."
date: "2019-01-22"
modified: "2019-01-22"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/waymo-approval-open-driverless-car-factory-michigan"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
tags:
  - "driverless cars"
  - "michigan"
  - "waymo"
---

# Waymo Gets Approval to Open Driverless Car Factory in Michigan

![Waymo received approval from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to build a Level 4 autonomous vehicle factory in the state.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/waymo-approval-open-driverless-car-factory-michigan.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Waymo\</em\>*

## Driverless in Michigan

Alphabet-owned driverless car company Waymo has received approval from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to build an autonomous vehicle factory in the state.

In a [Medium post](<https://medium.com/waymo/growing-our-team-and-business-in-michigan-932f75addb45>), Waymo claims its factory will be the first in the world that's entirely dedicated to the mass production of driverless vehicles. The company has yet to identify an exact location for its first facility, but it plans to hire "engineers, operations experts, and fleet coordinators," to help "assemble and deploy our self-driving cars."

## Motor State

The news comes after General Motors laid off [15 percent](<https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/26/business/gm-oshawa-plant/index.html>) of its salaried workers and closed five entire auto plants — including one in Michigan — in the U.S. and Canada in November.

The cars Waymo is planning to assemble are modified versions of the Fiat Chrysler vans and Jaguar Land Rovers that have been outfitted with advanced self-driving sensors and other hardware. Waymo is already using Hybrid [Chrysler Pacifica minivans](<https://futurism.com/waymo-chrysler-pacifica-san-francisco>) as part of its efforts to expand [autonomous ride-hailing services](<https://futurism.com/report-waymo-unveil-first-driverless-rideshare>) in Phoenix, Arizona. It launched the world's [first self-driving taxi service](<https://futurism.com/waymo-one-self-driving-taxi-service>) back in December, although its operations are limited to a suburb of Arizona's capital.

It's a big stepping stone for the future of autonomous vehicles — especially considering Michigan's longstanding history with the automotive industry.

**READ MORE:** [Waymo will build self-driving cars in Michigan](<https://www.engadget.com/2019/01/22/waymo-to-build-self-driving-cars-in-michigan/?utm_campaign=homepage&utm_medium=internal&utm_source=dl>) \[*Engadget*\]

***More on Waymo: [Waymo Has Officially Launched a Self-Driving Taxi Service](<https://futurism.com/waymo-one-self-driving-taxi-service>)***

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)