Waymo to Launch Driverless Ride-Hailing in Singapore by 2028

Waymo, the autonomous ride-hailing company, is set to begin taking ride bookings in Singapore through its self-driving cars in 2028, marking its debut in South-east Asia.

The Alphabet-owned firm unveiled its plans on September 18 at Google's Asia-Pacific headquarters in Pasir Panjang, revealing that its first batch of vehicles will begin operating on local roads over the coming months.

The starting fleet will consist of Jaguar I-PACE SUVs, though the company has not said how many vehicles it will deploy initially or what its ultimate fleet size will be.

Building Local Operations

During the early phase, the cars will be operated by trained autonomous vehicle (AV) specialists, allowing the on-board systems to adapt to Singapore's road and weather conditions. These specialists will be recruited locally, alongside staff for other roles such as fleet maintenance and customer support.

Waymo highlighted that a significant portion of its riders use the service to link up with public transport. In San Francisco, for instance, more than a third of its customers are picked up or dropped off close to public transit stops.

"We aim to bridge first-and-last-mile transit gaps across residential and commercial hubs," the company said.

It remains unclear whether Waymo's service will be offered across the entire island or limited to specific areas when it launches, with further details expected to be shared later.

Safety Record

Speaking at the event, Waymo chief executive Tekedra Mawakana pointed to the company's established safety performance. She noted that studies have found the firm's AVs are 94 per cent less likely to be involved in crashes causing serious injuries, and that there are 84 per cent fewer injury-causing collisions involving cyclists, compared with human drivers, in the areas where Waymo operates.

Mawakana said the company has delivered tens of millions of rides across US cities since 2020. Waymo hopes its arrival will "complement Singapore's mobility ecosystem with a safe, convenient and reliable option."

"Ultimately, we believe autonomous mobility is about saving lives while enabling freedom and independence," she said. "It's about providing families peace of mind when their loved ones are on the move, and it's about giving people precious time back."

Regional Expansion

Records on corporate intelligence platform Sayari indicate that Waymo's Singapore subsidiary was registered on May 20, with the company's financial controller and deputy general counsel among its listed directors.

Waymo currently operates in 15 US cities. Singapore becomes its second confirmed Asian market, following Tokyo, where commercial services are due to begin in 2027. The company has also been preparing for wider expansion, setting up a subsidiary in South Korea in July, though no timeline for commercial operations there has been announced.