US firm Waymo to launch robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028
Waymo plans to launch its robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028, giving the US company its first foothold in Southeast Asia. Fully electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles were due to arrive in the city state in the coming months, ahead of preparations for a commercial launch, the company said on Friday. From 2027, trained autonomous specialists will manually drive the vehicles to help Waymo adapt its…
Waymo, the driverless vehicle unit of Alphabet Inc., announced plans to launch its robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028, marking the company's first entry into Southeast Asia. The company's first fully electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles will arrive in the city-state in the coming months to prepare for the commercial launch. Trained autonomous specialists will manually drive the vehicles starting from 2027 to help Waymo fine-tune its technology to suit Singapore's road conditions, weather patterns, and other local factors. The public launch is anticipated to occur through the Waymo app in 2028.
Waymo's co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, expressed admiration for Singapore's transportation ecosystem, describing it as one of the safest, most efficient, and forward-thinking in the world. The company is committed to collaborating with the community, creating local jobs, and working with national leaders to enhance Singapore's public transit network.
Singapore's ride-hailing giants, Grab and ComfortDelGro, have also been granted permission to partner with Chinese autonomous vehicle firms WeRide and Pony.ai to test and deploy shuttle taxis on public roads in Punggol.
Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow hailed Waymo's entry as a move towards new transport options for Singaporeans. The partnership will bolster the transport ecosystem and generate new jobs and capabilities. Apart from Singapore, Waymo aims to introduce its autonomous taxi service in Tokyo in 2027 and plans to launch in London and Munich as well.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
