Alphabet’s self-driving unit Waymo plans to bring driverless taxis to Munich by the end of next year, the company said on its website, making the Bavarian capital its first market in the European Union. The Google sister company has so far operated public robotaxi services only in the United States, London and Tokyo.
The rollout will start slowly. In the coming weeks, Waymo vehicles will appear on Munich’s streets with human drivers at the wheel, mapping the road network and running tests to adapt the autonomous system, known as the Waymo Driver, to the city’s traffic. According to Business Insider, the company will begin with a small initial fleet of upgraded electric Jaguar I-Pace models.
“Munich is one of the absolute top locations worldwide for mobility and technology,” said Waymo co-chief executive Tekedra Mawakana, calling the expansion an important step in growing the company’s global presence. She said winning the trust of local residents was a priority and pointed to plans for creating highly qualified jobs.
One open question is how the cars will handle winter. Snow and ice remain among the hardest conditions for self-driving systems, and co-chief executive Dmitri Dolgov has noted that Waymo still keeps safety drivers on board in US cities with harsh winters. The mapping phase has drawn complaints elsewhere too. During tests in London in June, residents reported noise as the cars repeatedly shunted back and forth while surveying the streets.
German officials welcomed the move. Bavaria’s economy minister Hubert Aiwanger called it a milestone, while Christian Hirte, a state secretary at the transport ministry, said Germany wants to become a global hub for developing and producing autonomous technology, citing a legal framework for driverless road traffic in place since 2021. Waymo still needs regulatory approvals and is working with the Federal Motor Transport Authority and local authorities.
The company is not alone in eyeing Munich. Uber and the Israeli firm Autobrains announced a joint robotaxi programme there in June, while Volkswagen is running autonomous vehicles with safety drivers in Hamburg. Waymo, which says it has completed more than 20 million public journeys and driven over 350 million kilometres without human control, frames its service as a complement to public transport, cycling and walking.
