Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has announced plans to launch its autonomous electric ride-hailing service in Singapore by 2028. This expansion follows the company's entry into Germany and Japan in 2027 and marks its first move into the Southeast Asian market. The company is collaborating with Singapore's Ministry of Transport and the Land Transport Authority to facilitate the rollout.
The initial phase involves shipping modified Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles to Singapore in the coming months. Testing of the autonomous fleet is scheduled to begin in 2027, with specialists manually operating the vehicles to calibrate the Waymo Driver system to local road and weather conditions. Full autonomous service for the public is expected to follow in 2028.
Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow noted that employees at Google’s Singapore office may participate in early internal testing. Currently, Singapore hosts 16 autonomous passenger vehicles in Punggol, a number expected to grow to several hundred following Waymo's arrival. The company will join local operators ComfortDelGro and Grab in the national autonomous vehicle initiatives.
