Waymo plans electric robotaxi services in Germany likely starting in 2027

Image: Waymo

Waymo Germany GmbH was registered in the commercial register in May. Based in Munich, the company plans to offer robotaxi services using autonomous vehicles, similar to what it has done in the U.S., according to reports. However, this is unlikely to happen by 2026.

Waymo has not yet provided an official timeline for launching in Germany. A company spokesperson described a claim by the Federal Ministry of Transport that customers could soon be transported in two major German cities as “incorrect” to Automobilwoche.

According to the report, signs of preparations include Transdev, the fleet operator, seeking test drivers in Berlin and Munich, as well as a job posting for an autonomous driving operations manager in the Bavarian capital. The contracts for these positions are set to last one year, suggesting that testing and mapping drives will continue at least until the second quarter of 2027.

Insiders told Automobilwoche that mapping drives are not expected until toward the end of the year. These will initially likely be conducted using electric vehicles based on the Jaguar I-Pace and fifth-generation Waymo technology. Automobilwoche expects a commercial launch of the robotaxi service in 2027.

According to the industry portal, the new “Gen6 Driver” is likely to be used in the planned rollout next year as it aims to reduce hardware costs. This system is set to be installed in electric vehicles such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the 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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