The Pulse
Waymo Plans Commercial Robotaxi Service in Singapore for 2028
Waymo plans to bring an all-electric autonomous ride-hailing service to Singapore in 2028. The company will begin with manual mapping and validation drives in 2027 before seeking approval for fully autonomous operations.
AI.info Team · Written with AI · fact-checked ·
Waymo plans to launch a fully autonomous, all-electric ride-hailing service in Singapore in 2028, expanding the Alphabet-owned company’s commercial operations into Southeast Asia.
The service will operate through the Waymo app under a partnership with Singapore’s Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority. Waymo’s announcement came on September 17, 2026, followed by an LTA release on September 18 confirming that the company will become Singapore’s newest autonomous vehicle operator alongside ComfortDelGro and Grab.
Waymo’s first vehicles will arrive in Singapore in the coming months. The company will spend 2027 conducting manual mapping and validation drives before seeking approval for its autonomous driving system.
Waymo’s Singapore rollout starts with manual driving
The initial fleet will consist of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles equipped with Waymo’s fifth-generation Driver system. Trained autonomous specialists will drive the cars manually while the company adapts its software to Singapore’s road geometry, traffic patterns and monsoon weather.
Waymo intends to map all regions of Singapore and operate during both day and night. The company describes the first stage as preparation rather than a public autonomous service. After manual driving, autonomous specialists will supervise testing before Waymo moves toward fully driverless operations.
The system uses cameras, lidar and radar to maintain a 360-degree view around the vehicle, with detection extending up to 300 metres, according to Waymo’s Singapore information page. The sensor suite is designed to identify and anticipate the movements of pedestrians, cyclists and other road users, the company says.
Singapore adds Waymo to a growing operator group
Waymo’s arrival supports Singapore’s effort to expand autonomous mobility services and give commuters more transport options, according to LTA. Waymo will join ComfortDelGro and Grab, which are already involved in Singapore’s autonomous vehicle programmes, the authority says.
LTA will also work with Waymo to ensure deployments meet safety and regulatory requirements. The agency did not announce a service area, vehicle count or fare structure for the 2028 launch.
Singapore’s government is pairing the expansion of autonomous vehicles with measures aimed at drivers who may be affected by the technology. The government will support retraining, help drivers acquire new skills and assist willing workers in moving into roles created by the autonomous vehicle sector, LTA says.
Waymo has not announced a public launch date more specific than 2028, and the service remains subject to Singaporean regulatory approval.
Waymo pitches robotaxis as a transit connection
The service will complement Singapore’s existing public transport network rather than replace it, Waymo says. The company points to first- and last-mile trips as one intended use, including journeys connecting residential and commercial areas with mass-transit stations.
“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,” Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, said in the company’s announcement.
Waymo also positions the electric fleet as part of Singapore’s Green Plan 2030. Waymo’s vehicles will produce no direct tailpipe emissions and it will source renewable energy whenever possible, the company says, though it has not published a Singapore-specific emissions forecast.
The company brings a U.S. safety record to a new market
Waymo has provided more than 20 million fully autonomous rides and driven more than 300 million fully autonomous kilometres, the company says. It also claims a 94% reduction in injury-causing crashes compared with human drivers in the U.S. cities where it operates fully autonomously.
Those figures describe Waymo’s existing U.S. operations, not performance in Singapore. Waymo will validate its technology locally and seek the approvals required by Singapore’s autonomous vehicle rules before opening the service to riders.
“Singapore welcomes Waymo’s entry as our newest autonomous vehicle operator,” Singapore Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said in Waymo’s announcement. “Waymo brings world-class technology and operational expertise to Singapore, and will move us towards our vision of creating new transport options for Singaporeans.”
Waymo’s 2028 target now depends on the work scheduled between the arrival of the Jaguar vehicles and the approval process in 2027. Until that process is complete, Singapore will have a planned service, not a public Waymo ride-hailing network.