Waymo Launches First EU Driverless Robotaxi Service in Munich, Germany by Late 2027

After Uber, Waymo to launch the EU's first robotaxis in Munich

Google sister company Waymo plans to launch driverless taxi services with robotaxis in Bavaria's capital from next year. In the coming weeks, Waymo cars with drivers will first map the city. Alphabet, Google's parent company, plans to launch its Waymo driverless robotaxis for the public in Munich towards the end of next year, the company announced on its website on Wednesday. Until now, Waymo has only operated such taxis in the United States, London and Tokyo. The company said the first Waymo vehicles would appear on Munich's streets in the coming weeks, though initially they will still be manually driven during the trial phase. Drivers will first map the road network and carry out test runs with specially trained professionals at the wheel to ensure the autonomous system, the Waymo Driver, is properly adapted to the specific characteristics of Munich's traffic. During tests with autonomous Waymo vehicles in London in June, residents complained about noise pollution, according to media reports, as the cars frequently and noisily shunt back and forth while mapping the streets. According to Business Insider, Waymo will start in Munich with a small "initial fleet" of the upgraded electric Jaguar I-Pace models. "Munich is one of the absolute top locations worldwide for mobility and technology. Becoming part of this city is an important step in expanding our global presence," said Waymo co-chief executive Tekedra Mawakana. She added that the trust of local residents was a top priority as the service is prepared for launch, and announced plans to create highly qualified jobs as part of the project. One question still hanging over the launch, according to the German business magazine Clean Thinking, is how the cars will cope in winter. Snow and ice remain among the toughest conditions for self-driving cars, Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov has said. In the United States, the company still keeps safety drivers on board in cities with harsh winters for that reason. Germany's legal edge Bavaria's economy minister Hubert Aiwanger hailed Waymo's announcement as a "milestone". Christian Hirte, parliamentary state secretary at the transport ministry, said autonomous driving would shape the future of mobility. He added that Germany wants to become a leading global hub for developing and producing autonomous driving technology, pointing to the legal framework already in place. "Our ambition must be that these technologies are not only used in Europe, but also developed and operated here," he continued. For its future driverless service, Waymo still has to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals and is therefore working with the Federal Motor Transport Authority and the relevant state and local authorities. Germany has had legislation in place for driverless everyday road traffic since 2021. This will be Waymo's third market after the USA, the United Kingdom and Japan, and its first location in the European Union. The company points to more than 20 million completed journeys and over 350 million kilometres driven for the public without human control. Uber in Munich, VW in Hamburg Back in June, ride-hailing company Uber and Israeli AI firm Autobrains announced a joint robotaxi programme in Munich. In choosing the location, they cited the dense urban infrastructure, proximity to Germany's major carmakers and the legal conditions in Germany as decisive factors. Unlike Waymo, Uber/Autobrains are relying on software designed to enable autonomous driving with various car brands. Autonomous vehicles, albeit still with safety drivers on board, are also on the road in Hamburg as part of a Volkswagen project. Waymo stresses that its service is intended as a complement to public transport, cycling, and walking and points to the positive safety record of its vehicles.

Waymo to introduce driverless rides to Germany by end of 2027

The introduction of robotaxis to the German market would be Waymo's third planned international expansion and its first in the EU. Autonomous driving tech company Waymo is set to introduce driverless robotaxis into Germany, with a deadline set for the end of next year, 2027. The organisation, which is owned by Alphabet, will start driving its vehicles manually through Munich in the coming weeks as a means of creating high-definition maps and testing whether or not the car software can adapt to the city's unique driving conditions. Initially, it will utilise a small fleet of vehicles, the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace, with plans to scale and grow over time. Munich will be Waymo's first EU location to have robo- vehicles in place and is the third planned international expansion for the company. "Munich is a world-class hub for mobility and engineering and becoming part of this city marks an important milestone in our global expansion," said Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana in a statement. She added, "As we prepare to launch, earning the community's trust is our top priority. We look forward to investing in local fleet operations, creating high-skilled jobs and delivering a safe, reliable service for residents and visitors alike." In August, Waymo discussed the creation of its new custom AI chip, which it designed to improve the future performance of its AVs. According to the company, the purpose-built 5nm application-specific integrated circuit chip aims to optimise AV systems for low-latency performance and the improved execution of real-time driving commands. Autonomous vehicles (AV) is an area that is being increasingly invested in by AV, AI and tech companies. In late August, Uber announced plans to launch its first robotaxi service in Europe, as part of a partnership with AV platform Pony AI and Croatian mobility company Verne. Earlier in the year the company also revealed plans to roll out its AVs to several other major global locations, such as London, Madrid, Munich, Hong Kong and several cities in the US. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Waymo Takes its Driverless Taxi Operations Overseas into Germany

Waymo recently announced that it's bringing its autonomous ride-hailing service to Munich, Germany, marking the company's initial entry into a major international hub. Waymo says that it will begin manual test drives across the city in the coming weeks. Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana comments: Munich is a world-class hub for mobility and engineering, and becoming part of this city marks an important milestone in our global expansion. As we prepare to launch, earning the community's trust is our top priority. We look forward to investing in local fleet operations, creating high-skilled jobs, and delivering a safe, reliable service for residents and visitors alike. With that being said, the rollout marks the first phase of a validation process which focuses on high-definition mapping and system testing with trained specialists. Waymo says that these initial operations are designed to train its driver system to adapt to local road conditions, with the goal of launching a fully autonomous, commercial ride-hailing service to commuters in Munich by late 2027. The company adds that it is actively working with local, state, and federal German authorities to secure the necessary regulatory approvals. READ: Waymo's New Taxi Upgrade Adds Gemini Access for Passengers Waymo is pretty confident that it will be able to handle expansion smoothly, citing data which covers more than 350 million fully autonomous kilometers, 16 times fewer serious injury crashes, 14 times fewer pedestrian crashes with injury, and 6 times fewer cyclist crashes with injury. Operations in Munich will focus on integrating with existing public transit, cycling, and pedestrian infrastructure. Not too long ago, the company also announced that it was working with tech giant Google to bring Gemini AI within select cars, although it clarifies that the assistant will work independently of the vehicle's own navigation and driving system.