Waymo to launch autonomous ride-hailing in Singapore by 2028
Waymo will bring its all-electric autonomous ride-hailing service to Singapore by 2028, its first Southeast Asian market, with Jaguar I-PACE vehicles arriving soon.
Alphabet's autonomous driving unit Waymo will launch its all-electric ride-hailing service in Singapore by 2028, the company said on Friday, in its first move into Southeast Asia.
An initial fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles is expected to reach Singapore in the coming months. In 2027, trained autonomous specialists will carry out manual driving to familiarise the Waymo Driver with local road geometry and monsoon weather patterns. The public launch is targeted for 2028.
Waymo said it is working with Singapore's transport ministry and the Land Transport Authority to bring the service to the city-state.
Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow welcomed the company's entry, describing Waymo as Singapore's newest autonomous vehicle operator. He said Waymo brings world-class technology and operational expertise, and that its arrival supports the country's vision of creating new transport options for Singaporeans.
The Singapore plan follows Waymo's announcement this week that it aims to start Japan's first fully autonomous commercial taxi service in Tokyo in 2027.
Waymo, valued at $126 billion in February when it raised $16 billion, has been expanding its robotaxi fleet as it competes with Amazon's Zoox and Tesla in the self-driving vehicle market.