Alphabet-owned Waymo to launch autonomous ride-hailing service in Singapore by 2028
Waymo says its first vehicles are expected to arrive in Singapore in the coming months.
Alphabet's Waymo autonomous driving company plans to launch a fully driverless ride-hailing service in Singapore by 2028. This marks Waymo's first foray into Southeast Asia, with the company partnering with Singapore's Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority. The inaugural fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles will arrive in Singapore in the coming months, accompanied by training specialists to manually operate the cars while the Waymo Driver system adapts to local road conditions.
During a preparatory phase next year, the autonomous system will be fine-tuned to Singapore's unique road geometry and monsoon weather conditions. Waymo aims to offer fully autonomous rides to the public through its app by 2028, pending regulatory approval.
The company's autonomous system utilizes lidar, radar, and cameras to create a 360-degree view of its surroundings, allowing vehicles to detect and predict the movements of pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users. Waymo has already provided over 20 million fully autonomous rides and driven more than 300 million autonomous kilometers, achieving a 94% reduction in injury-causing crashes compared to human drivers in U.S. cities.
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana highlighted Singapore's advanced transportation ecosystem, emphasizing the company's focus on reliability, sustainability, and human-centric progress. Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow noted that autonomous vehicles will complement existing transport options, such as trains and buses, by filling gaps in service areas and operating during off-peak hours.
Singapore's initial deployment of Waymo's autonomous vehicles will begin in the Labrador and Harbourfront areas, with the potential expansion to other Housing Board towns in the future. By 2028, the country could have a fleet of several hundred autonomous vehicles, creating new job opportunities in areas such as fleet management, remote operation, system maintenance, data analysis, and safety assurance.
Written by urgent.news from CNA - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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