Waymo is preparing to extend its autonomous driving operations to Europe for the first time. The Alphabet-owned company has announced plans to launch a driverless ride-hailing service in Munich, Germany, by the end of 2027, marking its initial entry into the EU market and its third international location.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Waymo said it will send vehicles to Munich's streets for manual driving tests "in the coming weeks." These tests are intended to build high-definition maps and verify whether its autonomous driving software can adapt to the local "unique driving environment."
Before the service opens to the public, the company will conduct supervised testing with trained autonomous driving specialists positioned behind the wheel.
This expansion reinforces Waymo's strategy to establish a dominant position in the global robotaxi market. The company currently completes more than 500,000 paid trips per week across 11 U.S. cities, and the Munich move signals a push into Europe's core automotive market as part of its broader international growth.
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Small Initial Fleet, Testing First
According to a Waymo spokesperson, the company will deploy a small fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in Munich at the outset, with plans to scale up gradually afterward.
The testing phase in Munich is structured in two stages. First, manual driving will be used to collect data and create high-definition maps, validating how the autonomous driving algorithms handle local road conditions. Second, the process will move into an autonomous validation phase with dedicated staff supervising operations. The company expects to open commercial services to the general public by the end of 2027.
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in the statement, "Munich is a world-leading hub for mobility and engineering, and entering this city marks a significant milestone in our global expansion process."
Early Moves Across Europe, Registrations Completed in Multiple Countries
Munich is not the only European location Waymo has targeted. The company registered an operating entity in Germany this June to begin preparing for localized operations, and has since completed registrations in France, the Netherlands, and Spain, though no specific commercial plans have been announced for those markets yet.
Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary at Germany's Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, said in Waymo's statement, "Autonomous driving is key to the future of mobility. Our goal is to ensure that Europe can not only use these technologies but also develop and operate them locally."
Looking at its global footprint, Waymo has listed London and Tokyo as the next target cities and plans to add 20 new service locations both domestically and internationally.
Germany's Competitive Landscape Takes Shape, Multiple Players Converge on Munich
Germany's status as an automotive industry powerhouse makes it a crucial testing ground for autonomous driving companies worldwide.
UK-based startup Wayve Technologies has already been conducting technical validation in Germany. Ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies also announced this June a partnership with AI company Autobrains Technologies, with plans to launch a robotaxi service in Munich in the future.
The convergence of multiple players is turning Munich into Europe's most competitive arena for autonomous driving. Waymo's first-mover advantages in commercial operational scale and deployment experience will face new scrutiny in this market.