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Jean Iau

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 technology to Singapore’s road layouts, monsoon conditions and other local features.
The service is expected to open to the public through the Waymo app in 2028.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet Inc., operates ride-hailing services using driverless, or autonomous, vehicles. It announced its Singapore plans at a press conference with the Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority.

“Singapore has built one of the safest, most efficient, and most forward-thinking transportation ecosystems in the world. Their focus on reliability, sustainability, and human-centric progress directly mirrors how we have built Waymo’s technology and service,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo.
“As we begin our journey here, we are committed to listening to the community, creating high-skilled local operational jobs, and working hand in hand with national leaders to complement Singapore’s world-class public transit network.”
Earlier this year, Singapore’s major ride-hailing companies Grab and ComfortDelGro were given the green light to collaborate with leading Chinese AV manufacturers WeRide and Pony.ai, respectively, to test and deploy shuttle taxi services on public roads in Punggol.
“Waymo brings world-class technology and operational expertise to Singapore, and will move us towards our vision of creating new transport options for Singaporeans,” said Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow. “The partnership will also strengthen our ecosystem and create new capabilities and jobs here.”

Waymo said it planned to complement Singapore’s public transit network by bridging first- and last-mile transit gaps while offering zero direct emissions.
At the launch on Friday, Siow said the feedback on autonomous vehicles (AV) in the Punggol trial had been overwhelmingly positive with 99 per cent of passengers saying that they would recommend the experience to someone else.
The AVs, which currently shuttle passengers to fixed points along loops, will soon be tested for point-to-point service within Punggol. This will be done progressively by adding more pickup and drop-off points.
Testing and preparation for Waymo will begin for deployment in the western part of Singapore, starting with the Labrador and Harbourfront area. “This will include new use cases such as travelling to work, weekend travel, and serving industrial areas which have fewer transport options,” Siow said.
Singapore expects to increase its total fleet to several hundred vehicles in the next two years, according to Siow. Earlier this month, ride-hailing app Grab announced that it was expanding its fleet from 10 to 50.

As the industry grows, new jobs will be created and people will be needed to manage the vehicle fleets, operate the vehicles remotely, maintain sophisticated systems, test new applications, analyse data, and ensure that the services run safely and reliably. Some of these jobs will be open to taxi and private hire car drivers, Siow said.
“The government will subsidise up to 90 per cent of salaries during training, because we are committed to supporting any driver who wishes to take on new opportunities,” he added.
According to Mawakana, peer-reviewed data shows that Waymo dramatically reduced serious injury crashes and pedestrian injury crashes compared to humans, had a 94 per cent reduction in injury-causing crashes, and 84 per cent fewer cyclist crashes with injuries compared to human drivers in the United States.
“By offering 24/7 safe transportation, we hope to support Singapore’s green vision while serving everyday needs, from helping students get home safely to supporting an ageing demographic,” she said.
“We look forward to working side-by-side with the Singaporean government, community partners, and local residents to ensure our service directly reflects the needs of Singapore’s residents and visitors alike.”
The company on Tuesday announced it aimed to launch Japan’s first fully autonomous commercial taxi service in Tokyo in 2027. It also has plans to launch in London and Munich.


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Trained specialists will drive Jaguar I-Pace vehicles and help Waymo adapt its technology to Singapore’s road layouts and other conditions


Trained specialists will drive Jaguar I-Pace vehicles and help Waymo adapt its technology to Singapore’s road layouts and other conditions.


US firm Waymo to launch robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Trained specialists will drive Jaguar I-Pace vehicles and help Waymo adapt its technology to Singapore’s road layouts and other conditions

Trained specialists will drive Jaguar I-Pace vehicles and help Waymo adapt its technology to Singapore’s road layouts and other conditions