"We are working closely with employees, offering them opportunities to transfer as well as with our staffing partners to ensure everyone receives transition pay and relocation assistance," Waymo originated as a project of Google, becoming a standalone subsidiary in December 2016. In 2015, Austin was the testing location for Google's first fully self-driving trip without any driver presence. The Waymo office closure comes in the wake of Ford announcing that it plans to test its own driverless vehicles in Austin. The auto giant's prototypes could hit Austin streets as early as this month.