Waymo plans to launch a driverless taxi service in Munich by the end of 2027.

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Waymo is extending its autonomous mobility footprint to Europe. The Alphabet-owned company announced plans to offer driverless ride-hailing services in Munich, Germany by the end of 2027, marking its first attempt to enter the EU market and its third international market.

Waymo stated in Tuesday's announcement that the company will "send vehicles to the streets of Munich in the coming weeks" for manual driving tests, to build high-precision maps and verify whether its autonomous driving software can adapt to the city's "unique driving environment."

Before opening the service to the public, the company will arrange for trained autonomous driving experts to sit behind the wheel for supervised tests.

This expansion plan reinforces Waymo’s strategic intent to seek dominance in the global robotaxi market. Currently, the company completes over 500,000 paid rides each week across 11 US cities, and its deployment in Munich marks its internationalization process entering Europe’s core market.

Google’s US shares fell 0.44% during trading on Tuesday.

Limited fleet in the first phase, tests will take the lead

According to a Waymo spokesperson, the company will initially deploy a small fleet of fully electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in Munich, gradually expanding the scale over time.

As planned, the testing phase in Munich will proceed in two steps: first, collecting data and mapping high-precision maps via manual driving to verify the adaptability of autonomous driving algorithms to local road conditions; next, entering the autonomous driving validation phase with dedicated supervisors. The company expects to open commercial services to the general public by the end of 2027.

Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana stated in the announcement, "Munich is a global hub for mobility and engineering, and entering this city is an important milestone in our global expansion."

European deployments underway, registrations completed in multiple countries

Munich is not Waymo's only foothold in Europe. The company reportedly completed its business registration in Germany in June of this year, preparing for localized operations; it subsequently registered in France, the Netherlands, and Spain, though specific business plans for these markets have not yet been announced.

Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Transport, said in Waymo’s announcement, "Autonomous driving is key to future mobility. Our goal is to ensure that Europe not only uses these technologies, but also develops and operates them locally."

Globally, Waymo has listed London and Tokyo as the next target cities and plans to add 20 new service locations both domestically and abroad.

Germany’s competitive landscape takes shape, multiple players converge in Munich

Germany’s role as an automotive manufacturing powerhouse makes it an important testing ground for global autonomous driving companies.

British startup Wayve Technologies has conducted technology validation in Germany; ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies announced in June that it has established a partnership with AI company Autobrains Technologies, planning to launch robotaxi services in Munich in the future.

The convergence of multiple players is making Munich the most fiercely competitive battleground for autonomous driving in Europe. Waymo’s early lead in operational scale and deployment experience will face new tests in this market.

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