Waymo Expands Robotaxi Push to Germany

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit of Alphabet Inc., has registered a local entity in Germany to offer ride-hailing services with autonomous vehicles. The company, which provides 500,000 autonomous trips weekly across 11 cities in the US, has set its sights on global expansion, with plans to bring its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to London, Tokyo, and now Germany. Waymo Germany GmbH, registered on June 15, will offer autonomous ride-hailing services and provide support services for third-party commercial offerings. The move marks Waymo’s latest push into the global market, with the company engaging officials worldwide to explain its technology and lay the groundwork for operations. Before launching its service in Germany, Waymo will likely conduct supervised mapping, employee testing, and regulatory groundwork, a process that may take months or years. The company’s expansion into Germany, an automotive hub, follows similar moves by other robotaxi companies, including Wayve Technologies and Baidu Inc. With its global ambitions, Waymo aims to bring its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to 21 more cities domestically and globally.