Waymo tests self-driving cars in Fairbanks climate

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) - Waymo cars have been spotted in the Fairbanks area, with a post on the Fairbanks, Alaska Facebook page claiming to show them charging at electric vehicle ports in the Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) parking lot.

Ashley Bradish, Director of External Affairs and Public Relations with GVEA, confirmed that she has personally seen the vehicles using their stations, adding that a number of companies use Fairbanks to test their equipment in cold weather.

In response to an email from Alaska’s News Source, Chris Bonelli, Product Communications Manager with Waymo, sent out a statement.

“Similar to other winter road trips we’ve done, we are be doing manual data collection, autonomous driving with a specialist at the wheel, and limited structured testing in Fairbanks. This will allow us to further refine critical cold-weather capabilities of the sixth-generation Waymo Driver this winter.”

However, Bonelli has not yet responded to a series of questions from Alaska’s News Source, including the expected timeline of the testing, why they chose Fairbanks and whether there is an intention to begin operating driverless cars in Fairbanks.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for Fairbanks to be a testing ground. We’ve been a winter testing ground for a long time through FEDC (Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation) and the programs that they have,” City of Fairbanks Mayor Mindy O’Neall said.

Concerning security, the mayor added, “I trust that they have, you know, routes that are mapped out that will be secure for and safe for our community.”

Community member Charlie Woolwine expressed concern over the idea of self-driving cars on Fairbanks roads.

“I don’t think that they’re safe and they shouldn’t be allowed. If a human can’t drive it, then it shouldn’t be drive by itself.”

Katrina Howe, speaking with Alaska’s News Source, said she is skeptical about artificial intelligence.

“You have to account for everything because computers are actually quite stupid. They will do exactly what you tell them to. They don’t think about it. They don’t have a consciousness. They don’t know how to double check whether or not you’re telling them is everything they need to know to move forward,” she argued.

Howe rhetorically asked whether those testing these cars were themselves from cold-climate areas.

“Do they know what they’re looking for, you know? Do they know to look for black ice? Do they know to look for, you know, fog causing, you know, interference with their sensors? Like, there’s all sorts of factors when you think about what you’ve got to program for,” she said.

Arguing that there could be fatalities if these vehicles are deployed on Fairbanks roads, Howe said that she is supportive of the research, but doesn’t think “we’re anywhere near to letting those cars loose on our streets.”

Gwen Jackson, meanwhile, said she is not a fan of driverless cars on any road, especially in Fairbanks, where she said electronic and battery-operated machinery is more likely to fail.

“We have ice. We have extreme weather conditions, and you drive differently in those weather conditions, so if you’ve got a car that is trying to function in negative 30 degree weather, you don’t have a human to help it ease its way in that situation,” she said. “You just have a computer system trying to figure that out.”

“I feel like they’ll probably just stall out and be on the sides of the roads or in the middle of the lanes and causing traffic hazards,” Jackson added.

Jackson argued that having these cars on the road would put all drivers at risk.

“Everybody’s at risk because the car will have a life of its own in one way or another,” she said.

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