Waymo Sets Singapore as Next International Robotaxi Market, Targeting 2028 Launch

Waymo plans to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028, the Alphabet-owned company announced Thursday, adding the city-state to a growing list of international markets as it faces regulatory resistance in several major U.S. cities.

Vehicles will begin arriving in Singapore "in the coming months," the company said, with mapping and autonomous testing — conducted with human safety drivers — set to begin in 2027. Full public ride-hailing is targeted for 2028, contingent on regulatory approval.

Before accepting passengers, Waymo must clear a safety assessment administered by Singapore's Centre of Excellence for Testing and Research, known as CETRAN. The framework was developed by the Land Transport Authority, or LTA, and CETRAN, with input from the Traffic Police.

Waymo is not entirely new to the market. The company established a corporate entity in Singapore earlier this year and participates in the country's Steering Committee on Autonomous Vehicles.

"Singapore has built one of the safest, most efficient, and most forward-thinking transportation ecosystems in the world," Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in a statement. "Their focus on reliability, sustainability, and human-centric progress directly mirrors how we have built Waymo's technology and service."

Singapore has become a notable hub for autonomous vehicle activity. Local authorities have approved autonomous freight delivery vehicles, road-sweepers, and self-driving buses for airport workers. Motional, a U.S.-based company majority owned by Hyundai, conducted a robotaxi pilot in the city-state as far back as 2016.

The Singapore announcement fits a broader international push by Waymo. The company has said it plans to launch a robotaxi service in London by the end of 2026 and in Tokyo in 2027. It has also confirmed plans to enter Munich, Germany, in late 2027 — its first deployment within the European Union.

On the domestic front, Waymo has announced several new U.S. markets this year, including Nashville, Denver, San Diego, and Las Vegas. The company currently operates roughly 4,000 vehicles across approximately 15 U.S. cities.

That domestic footprint, however, has notable gaps. Regulatory hurdles and political opposition have kept Waymo out of New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. — three of the country's largest urban centers.

The international expansion signals Waymo's intent to build commercial scale in markets where the regulatory environment has proven more receptive, even as the debate over autonomous vehicles in the United States continues without resolution.

The Singapore timeline — vehicles arriving within months, testing in 2027, commercial launch in 2028 — gives the company roughly two years to satisfy local safety requirements before it attempts to turn the market commercially viable, reinforcing a methodical, approval-first approach to international growth.