Waymo will start operations in Singapore in 2028
Waymo has established partnerships with Singapore's Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA), in preparation for its foray into the country's robotaxis market. The first batch of modified Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles will arrive in Singapore in the coming months, as the company ramps up its local operations.
The company plans to begin testing its autonomous fleet in Singapore in 2027. Initially, autonomous driving specialists will manually drive the electric vehicles to assist Waymo Driver, its proprietary autonomous driving system, in adapting to local conditions, including road configuration and weather conditions. It aims to begin offering fully autonomous rides to the public through the Waymo app next year, and has created a dedicated page on its website to keep potential customers informed of its progress.
Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow attended the company's launch event in Singapore, accompanied by Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana. It has claimed that employees based in Google's Singapore office could be the first users of Waymo in the country, presumably as part of internal testing. Likewise, it has been highlighted that the autonomous vehicles have completed more than 160,000 kilometers during tests carried out on fixed routes in Singapore without any serious accidents being recorded.
Singapore is currently in the testing stage of autonomous passenger vehicles and autonomous public buses. In relation to Waymo's announcement, Mr Siow noted that there are currently 16 passenger vehicles, all of which are in service in Punggol. The country expects this number to increase to several hundred with the arrival of Waymo.
Singapore has developed one of the safest, most efficient and forward-thinking transportation environments in the world. “Its focus on reliability, sustainability and people-centered progress directly reflects how we have developed Waymo technology and service,” said Mawakana.
The LTA has issued a statement expressing its willingness to collaborate closely with Waymo, with the aim of ensuring compliance with regulatory and safety requirements in operations. As agreed, Waymo will join local companies ComfortDelGro and Grab in the country's autonomous vehicle initiatives when testing begins next year.
