Waymo Expands Driverless Rides to EU with Germany Debut in 2027

Waymo is planning to offer driverless ride-hailing services in Germany by the end of next year, marking its third planned international market and the first in the European Union.

The Alphabet Inc.-owned unit will start to manually drive its vehicles on the streets of Munich “in the coming weeks” to create high-definition maps and ensure that its self-driving software can adapt to the city’s “distinct driving conditions,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday. Waymo will test the cars with trained autonomous specialists behind the wheel during the validation period before opening to the general public toward the end of 2027, it added.

The company will have a small initial fleet of its all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles during this first phase, with plans to scale the fleet over time, a spokesperson said.

“Munich is a world-class hub for mobility and engineering, and becoming part of this city marks an important milestone in our global expansion,” co-Chief Executive Officer Tekedra Mawakana said in the statement.

The move underscores Waymo’s global ambitions to become the leading robotaxi player beyond its home market. The company already does more than 500,000 paid trips per week across 11 US cities and has set its sights on 20 more locations domestically and globally, including London and Tokyo.

In June, Waymo registered operations in Germany as it began laying the groundwork for local operations. It has since also registered in France, the Netherlands and Spain, though the company has yet to announce commercial plans.

Waymo isn’t the only robotaxi provider that will be validating its technology in Germany. The automotive hub has been a testing ground for self-driving car companies around the world, including UK startup Wayve Technologies Ltd. and Chinese players like Baidu Inc. and Beijing Momenta Technology Co. In June, Uber Technologies Inc. said it has partnered with Tel Aviv-based AI company Autobrains Technologies Ltd. to eventually launch robotaxis in Munich.

“Autonomous driving is the key to the mobility of the future,” Christian Hirte, parliamentary state secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transport, said in the statement. “Our goal must be to ensure that we in Europe not only use these technologies but also develop and operate them here.”