Waymo announced plans to introduce its autonomous ride-hailing service to Singapore, marking its expansion into a major Asian market. According to the company’s official announcement, initial driving operations are set to begin next year, with commercial service intended to launch in 2028.
The deployment will follow a phased approach. Waymo will start with manual driving operations focused on mapping and data collection across all regions of Singapore. The company aims to seek Land Transport Authority approval for its autonomous driving system in 2027. Following manual operations, trained local autonomous specialists will operate vehicles in autonomous mode before transitioning to fully autonomous operations without human supervision.
Waymo’s Singapore fleet will initially consist of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles equipped with its fifth-generation Waymo Driver technology. The company states it will operate 24 hours per day, seven days a week to test performance under various road and weather conditions.
According to Waymo, the technology has been extensively tested. The company has driven over 300 million kilometers on public roads globally and conducted billions more kilometers in simulation. In U.S. cities where Waymo operates autonomously, the company reports 94% fewer injury-causing crashes compared to human driving over the same distance. The service currently operates in 15 major U.S. cities and handles over 500,000 trips weekly.
Waymo emphasized that its autonomous vehicles use a comprehensive sensor suite—including cameras, lidar, and radar—providing 360-degree visibility up to 300 meters away. The system is designed to detect and safely navigate around pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users.
The company stated it is working closely with Singapore’s Ministry of Transport, Land Transport Authority, and other local authorities to secure necessary approvals. Waymo positioned the Singapore expansion as supporting the city’s Green Plan 2030 and broader vision for smart, sustainable mobility. The company noted that Singapore’s advanced multimodal transit system and commitment to innovation and sustainability aligned with its own focus.
Key facts
- Waymo intends to begin manual driving operations in Singapore next year, with commercial service launching in 2028
- The initial fleet will use all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles equipped with fifth-generation Waymo Driver technology
- The company has driven over 300 million kilometers on public roads globally and reports 94% fewer injury-causing crashes in U.S. cities where it operates autonomously
- Waymo will operate 24 hours daily during testing phases to validate performance across various road conditions
- The company is working with Singapore’s Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority to secure necessary approvals