Waymo to launch autonomous taxi service in Singapore in 2028

Summary

Waymo has announced its phased entry into Singapore. The plan begins with manual mapping in 2027; approval will be sought from the Land Transport Authority for the autonomous system, and full driving services will be launched by 2028 using fully electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles equipped with fifth-generation Waymo Driver hardware.

Why it matters

This marks Waymo's first large-scale deployment in Southeast Asia. The system will be tested in a dense, tropical, right-hand traffic urban environment far from its US headquarters. This move also indicates that autonomous vehicle regulations in Asia have reached a level of maturity capable of attracting top-tier players. The shape of the mobility and electric vehicle market in the region could change.

Highlights

• Phased rollout: manual mapping → supervised autonomous driving → full autonomous service by 2028
• Fleet: fully electric Jaguar I-PACE equipped with fifth-generation Waymo Driver hardware (lidar, radar, cameras; 360° visibility up to 300 meters)
• Waymo highlights data showing over 500,000 weekly trips in the US, more than 300 million miles on public roads, and a 94% lower rate of injury-causing accidents compared to local human drivers

Critical take

The 94% safety rate is based on the company's own claims. The comparison was made only with human drivers in the same US cities. This data says nothing about Singapore's already extremely low accident rates or its unique traffic structure. The announcement reads like a marketing-driven press release. No concrete service area map, pricing, or fleet size commitment was shared. The 2028 target will remain ambitious until LTA approval is actually granted.