Waymo is preparing an autonomous ride-hailing service in Munich

Image: Waymo

Waymo announces its intention to lay the foundation for a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Munich. The company, which has been operating in its home market of the U.S. for some time now, cites over 20 million autonomous rides to date as well as hundreds of thousands of commercial rides per week. The first vehicles are set to hit the streets of this Bavarian metropolis in the coming weeks, though they will be manually controlled for now.

The initial steps involve mapping the road network and conducting first test drives with specially trained professionals behind the wheel. By the end of 2027, the ride service is set to become available to the public. Until then, Waymo aims to adjust its autonomous system, “Waymo Driver,” during the testing phase to suit the unique conditions of traffic in Munich.

"Munich is among the absolute top global hubs for mobility and technology. Becoming part of this city is a significant step in expanding our presence worldwide," said Tekedra Mawakana, Co-CEO of Waymo. "At every stage of preparing our ride-hailing service, the trust of citizens comes first and foremost. We will invest in building a local fleet operation, create high-quality jobs, and offer a safe and reliable service to everyone in Munich—whether they live here or are visiting."

Parliamentary State Secretary Christian Hirte describes autonomous driving as the key to future mobility, pointing to the legal framework already in place in Germany. According to him, Waymo plans to introduce autonomous vehicles into the German market for regular use for the first time. Florian Herrmann, head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, also calls autonomous driving a key technology and mentions automobile manufacturers, suppliers, research institutions, startups, and the AI sector in Bavaria. He announces plans to further improve the regulatory environment, reduce bureaucracy, and eliminate regulatory barriers.

Waymo cites safety and cooperation as particularly important values for its launch in Munich. The company says it is in talks with policymakers and authorities at all levels to secure approvals and regulatory steps needed to operate in Germany. The ride-hailing service is intended to complement existing public transportation, cycling, and walking options. Together with Munich, Waymo aims for a vision of sustainable, integrated mobility with safer roads and better access to transportation.

According to media reports, the company in Munich is expected to initially conduct mapping missions using electric vehicles based on the Jaguar I-Pace and fifth-generation Waymo technology. For the planned rollout next year, the new “Gen6 Driver” is likely to be used, as it aims to reduce hardware costs. This system is set to be installed in electric cars such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Zeekr RT in the future.

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Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with experience in the automotive and financial industries. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.

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