Waymo Buys Former Apple Test Track in Wittmann for $220 Million

WITTMANN, ARIZONA (June 12, 2026) — Waymo has acquired a massive autonomous vehicle proving ground in the northwest Valley for $220 million, adding one of Arizona’s most specialized automotive testing assets to the company’s growing self-driving vehicle platform.

The property, located near 211th Avenue and Dove Valley Road in the far northwest portion of the City of Surprise near Wittmann, totals approximately 5,500 acres. The site was previously owned by Route 14 Investment Partners LLC, a Delaware entity associated with Apple, which acquired the former Chrysler proving ground in 2021 for $125 million.

The sale to Waymo was recorded on June 5 in Maricopa County.

The acquisition gives Waymo control of a large, controlled testing environment built for vehicle development in extreme Arizona heat and desert conditions. The facility includes a 115-acre city course, a 35-acre vehicle dynamics area, a four-mile oval track, and a freeway course designed to simulate real-world driving conditions. The site also includes varied road surfaces and testing areas that allow engineers to evaluate vehicle systems, components, and performance in a controlled setting.

The property has a long automotive history. Before Apple acquired it, the site had been used by Fiat Chrysler as a proving ground for hot-weather vehicle testing. Apple later used the facility as part of its self-driving vehicle program, often referred to as Project Titan, before the company discontinued that effort.

For Waymo, the purchase strengthens its Arizona presence as the Alphabet-owned autonomous vehicle company expands beyond its early robotaxi markets. Waymo already operates in metro Phoenix and has expanded service or testing into several major U.S. markets, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta.

The Wittmann proving ground gives Waymo a large-scale private facility where it can test and refine its autonomous driving system away from public roads. Controlled environments are especially important for self-driving technology because they allow companies to repeatedly test specific driving scenarios — including freeway merging, city traffic, emergency stops, pedestrian interactions, turns, lane changes, unusual road conditions, and other edge cases — before deploying software updates more broadly.

The Arizona location is also significant from an economic development standpoint. The state has long been attractive to automotive and autonomous vehicle companies because of its open roads, dry climate, year-round testing conditions, and proximity to fast-growing western markets. Arizona has hosted major vehicle testing activity for decades, and the northwest Valley has become one of the country’s notable clusters for proving grounds and advanced mobility testing.

Waymo’s $220 million purchase also marks a notable increase in the property’s value. Apple-linked Route 14 Investment Partners acquired the former Chrysler proving ground for $125 million in 2021, meaning the site traded for nearly $95 million more just five years later.

The acquisition reflects the continued evolution of Arizona’s role in transportation technology. What began as a traditional vehicle proving ground for automakers is now positioned as a major autonomous vehicle testing asset for one of the leading companies in self-driving mobility.

Arizona has seen both the promise and volatility of autonomous vehicle technology. Tucson once landed TuSimple, the self-driving truck company that planned a major local expansion before shutting down its U.S. operations. Waymo’s purchase of the former Apple proving ground in Wittmann shows the sector is still investing heavily in Arizona, but with a more mature player and a controlled testing asset rather than a speculative startup expansion.

While the facility is not in Southern Arizona, it adds to Arizona’s broader profile as a state where advanced transportation, autonomous systems, aerospace, defense, and technology companies can test and scale next-generation platforms. For the Tucson region, the deal is another example of how Arizona’s climate, land availability, and engineering talent continue to attract major technology investments across the state.