Alphabet’s Waymo plans a commercial robotaxi service there in 2028, pending approval from Singapore regulators.
Waymo plans to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028, marking the Alphabet-owned company’s next move into an overseas market. Vehicles will arrive in the coming months to prepare for mapping work and autonomous testing with human safety drivers behind the wheel in 2027.
Waymo needs approval from Singapore’s Land Transport Authority before it can accept passengers. The city-state requires all autonomous vehicles to pass a safety assessment at the Centre of Excellence for Testing and Research. Waymo set up a corporate entity there earlier this year and sits on Singapore’s steering committee for autonomous vehicles.
Singapore has become a hub for autonomous vehicle testing, with approvals for autonomous freight delivery, road sweepers, and self-driving buses for airport workers. Motional ran a robotaxi pilot there in 2016. Operators entering the market face a defined regulatory path, and compliance work at CETRAN shapes deployment timelines.
Waymo has announced several domestic markets this year, including Nashville, Denver, San Diego, and Las Vegas, and runs about 4,000 vehicles across roughly 15 US cities. Regulatory hurdles and political opposition have kept it out of New York City, Chicago, and Washington, DC. Overseas, Waymo targets London by the end of 2026, Tokyo in 2027, and Munich in late 2027.
What matters
- Waymo will begin shipping vehicles to Singapore in the coming months for mapping and testing.
- Singapore requires autonomous vehicles to pass a safety assessment before they can carry passengers.
- Waymo also plans robotaxi service in London by late 2026, Tokyo in 2027, and Munich in late 2027.
Why it matters
Waymo also plans robotaxi service in London by late 2026, Tokyo in 2027, and Munich in late 2027.
This GenAI News article was prepared in original wording using reporting and materials published by The Verge. Source reference: https://www.theverge.com/transportation/997091/waymo-singapore-robotaxi-launch-2027.
Drafted by the GenAI News review pipeline.