Waymo Sets 2028 Singapore Launch for Driverless Ride-Hailing

Waymo is taking its robotaxi ambitions into Southeast Asia, announcing plans to launch a fully autonomous, all-electric ride-hailing service in Singapore in 2028.

The Alphabet-owned company will work with Singapore’s Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority as it prepares for the commercial rollout. An initial fleet of electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles is expected to arrive in the coming months to establish local operations.

Waymo plans to spend 2027 preparing its autonomous driving system for Singapore’s roads. Trained specialists will initially drive the vehicles manually to help the Waymo Driver adapt to local road layouts, traffic conditions and monsoon weather patterns.

The company expects customers to book fully autonomous rides through the Waymo app once the service launches. Singapore will become Waymo’s first Southeast Asian market, expanding its international push alongside planned operations in Tokyo and other global cities.

Waymo’s Singapore deployment will initially focus on western parts of the city, including the Labrador and HarbourFront area, as the company begins mapping and preparing its fleet. The rollout will remain subject to Singapore’s regulatory and safety requirements.

The move puts Waymo into an increasingly competitive autonomous-vehicle market in Singapore, where other companies including Grab and ComfortDelGro are also involved in autonomous mobility initiatives. Singapore’s government says it plans to support the transition for drivers as autonomous vehicle services expand.

Waymo says it has already provided more than 20 million fully autonomous rides in its existing markets, and the Singapore launch marks another major step in its effort to take driverless transportation beyond the U.S.