Southeast Asia Opens: Waymo Targets Singapore Robotaxis by 2028
Alphabet's Waymo said it will bring fully autonomous, all-electric ride-hailing to Singapore in 2028, its first Southeast Asia market, after Jaguar I-PACE vehicles arrive for mapping and monsoon-readiness work.
Kenji Watanabe, Asia desk · Sept. 18, 2026 · 5-6 min
SINGAPORE - Alphabet's Waymo said on Friday it will bring its fully autonomous, all-electric ride-hailing service to Singapore in 2028, marking the robotaxi company's first entry into Southeast Asia and extending a year that already includes a Tokyo commercial target for 2027.
An initial fleet of Jaguar I-PACE vehicles is due to arrive in Singapore in the coming months as Waymo sets up local operations, Reuters and Channel News Asia reported. During a readiness phase in 2027, trained specialists will manually drive and map the city so the Waymo Driver can adapt to local road geometry and monsoon weather. Public, fully autonomous rides via the Waymo app are planned for 2028, subject to regulatory approvals.
Waymo is working with Singapore's Ministry of Transport and the Land Transport Authority. Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow welcomed the company as Singapore's newest autonomous vehicle operator and said Waymo would begin testing and preparing for deployment in western Singapore, starting with the Labrador and Harbourfront area, CNA reported. Siow framed autonomous vehicles as a complement to trains and buses, including after-hours coverage and industrial districts where human drivers are often scarce.
"Singapore welcomes Waymo's entry as our newest autonomous vehicle operator," Siow said, according to Reuters. "Waymo brings world-class technology and operational expertise to Singapore, and will move us towards our vision of creating new transport options for Singaporeans."
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana cast Singapore's transit system as a natural fit. "Singapore has built one of the safest, most efficient and most forward-thinking transportation ecosystems in the world," Mawakana said in remarks carried by CNA and on Waymo's Singapore page. "Their focus on reliability, sustainability, and human-centric progress directly mirrors how we have built Waymo's technology and service."
The Singapore fleet is planned to be fully electric. Waymo said that aligns with the country's sustainability goals and could reduce reliance on private cars. On its Singapore page, the company said it intends to begin initial driving operations next year, map regions across the city to seek Land Transport Authority approval for its autonomous system in 2027, and open commercial service in 2028.
Singapore is not starting from zero. CNA noted that Grab and WeRide already run community autonomous shuttle rides in Punggol, and Grab plans to expand its AV fleet from 10 to 50 vehicles over six months. Siow said the country's total autonomous vehicle fleet could grow to several hundred over the next two years, still a small share of more than 70,000 taxi and private-hire drivers. Existing passenger AV counts cited by the minister stood at 16 vehicles, all in Punggol.
Waymo's announcement sits beside its Tokyo plan, disclosed earlier this week, for Japan's first fully autonomous commercial taxi service in 2027 with local partners. Reuters also noted Waymo's February valuation of $126 billion after a $16 billion raise as it competes with Amazon's Zoox and Tesla in paid robotaxi markets.
What remains ahead is the regulatory ladder: mapping and manual readiness driving in 2027, LTA approval for autonomous operation, and a public app launch in 2028. Until those gates clear, Singapore is a declared destination rather than a city where riders can already hail an empty Waymo. For Southeast Asia, Friday's news still redraws the map. Alphabet's robotaxi unit has now named its first Lion City timetable.
Sources
Kenji Watanabe, Asia desk. Kenji Watanabe is a senior correspondent covering autonomous mobility across Asia. Previously reported from Tokyo and Shenzhen for regional outlets; based in Tokyo.
