Singapore marks Waymo’s first expansion into Southeast Asia & outside of the US

Autonomous ride-hailing operator Waymo will roll out its fully self-driving ride-hailing service in Singapore by 2028, marking its first foray into Southeast Asia.

The Alphabet-owned company announced on Friday (Sep 18) that it is partnering with the Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority to lay the groundwork for an all-electric commercial ride-hailing service in Singapore, which commuters will be able to book through the Waymo app.

Waymo said its first vehicles are expected to arrive in Singapore in the coming months.

The initial fleet will consist of Jaguar I-PACE sports utility vehicles, though the operator did not disclose how many cars will be deployed or its eventual target fleet size.

These vehicles will be driven by trained autonomous vehicle (AV) specialists, allowing the on-board systems to familiarise themselves with Singapore’s road and weather conditions.

The specialists, along with staff for other operational roles such as fleet maintenance and customer support, will be hired locally.

Filling the gaps in Singapore’s transport network

Waymo said many of its customers use its rides to connect to public transport, noting that more than a third of riders in San Francisco are picked up or dropped off near 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 vehicles will be available islandwide or limited to certain parts of Singapore once the service launches, with further details expected to be released in due course.

The company also noted that its fully electric fleet directly supports the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

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

Waymo currently operates across 15 US cities, and its Singapore launch marks the AV operator’s second confirmed market in Asia, following Tokyo, where it plans to begin commercial services in 2027.

Beyond Japan and Singapore, Waymo has also been laying the groundwork for further regional expansion, having set up a subsidiary in South Korea in Jul—though a timeline for commercial operations there has yet to be disclosed.

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Featured Image Credit: Waymo