Waymo has acquired a massive 5,500-acre autonomous vehicle proving ground in Wittmann, Arizona, for $220 million — nearly double the $125 million Apple paid for it in 2021. The facility was the centerpiece of Apple’s now-dead self-driving car program.
The deal, recorded June 5 in Maricopa County filings, adds a world-class test facility to Waymo’s infrastructure as the company races to scale its robotaxi fleet to 1 million weekly rides by the end of the year.
Apple spent billions, gave up — Waymo picks up the pieces
The property was sold by Route 14 Investment Partners LLC, a Delaware shell company associated with Apple, according to documents first spotted by the Phoenix Business Journal. Apple originally purchased the proving ground in 2021 for $125 million after renting access to it for years. Before Apple, the facility served as Fiat Chrysler’s hot-weather testing ground for vehicles and components.
Apple used the 5,500-acre site to test prototype autonomous vehicles as part of its secretive car project, internally known as Project Titan. That effort went through multiple pivots over nearly a decade before Apple finally killed it in early 2024 after spending billions of dollars.
