Waymo's driverless Jaguar fleet to hit Singapore roads by 2028

Waymo, an American autonomous driving technology company, will be joining the likes of Grab and ComfortDelGro as Singapore's newest autonomous vehicle (AV) operator, with plans to launch in 2028.

The Silicon Valley-headquartered robotaxi company announced the move on Friday (Sept 18), marking its entry into Southeast Asia.

Waymo's expansion into Singapore is in partnership with the Ministry of Transport and the Land Transport Authority (LTA), and aims to increase the range of autonomous mobility services and transport options for commuters in Singapore, LTA said in a separate release.

Waymo's fleet of AVs, comprising all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, are expected to arrive in Singapore within the next few months, said the company.

Initial manual driving will be conducted by trained autonomous specialists in 2027 , to adapt the driverless technology to local road geometry and weather patterns.

Waymo also said it aims to launch its fully autonomous ride-hailing service here through its app in 2028 .

Complementing public transport

Waymo currently operates only in the US, but has announced expansion plans in Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany.

The driverless cars will complement Singapore's public transit network, said the company, adding that many riders often use their service to connect to mass transit stations.

At the same time, Waymo's fully electric fleet will complement the Singapore Green Plan 2030 by cutting down urban carbon emissions while reducing reliance on private car ownership.

"As we begin our journey here, we are committed to listening to the community, creating high-skilled local operational jobs, and working hand-in-hand with national leaders to complement Singapore's world class public transit network," said Tekedra Mawakana, Co-CEO of Waymo.

"LTA will work closely with Waymo to ensure that all deployments meet safety and regulatory requirements and build public trust in AVs," said the authority.

Government support for drivers

While AV technology is being introduced into Singapore's transport network, LTA assured drivers that the Government is committed to supporting them.

The Government "will not allow AV deployment to run ahead of our ability to retrain and support affected drivers", and drivers can leverage the manpower transition package announced earlier in July .

Additionally, the Government will continue to work closely with tripartite partners and operators to provide more support for drivers, including supporting drivers to acquire new skills and assisting willing drivers to pivot into new roles, said LTA.

Welcoming Waymo's entry into Singapore, Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow said that Waymo "will move us towards our vision of creating new transport options for Singaporeans".

He added: "The partnership will also strengthen our ecosystem and create new capabilities and jobs here."

dana.leong@asiaone.com

美国自动驾驶技术公司 Waymo 将加入 Grab 和 ComfortDelGro 等公司的行列，成为新加坡最新的自动驾驶汽车 (AV) 运营商，计划于 2028 年推出服务。

这家总部位于硅谷的无人驾驶出租车公司于周五（9 月 18 日）宣布了这一举措，标志着该公司正式进军东南亚市场。

陆路交通管理局 (LTA) 在另一份新闻稿中表示，Waymo 进军新加坡市场是与新加坡交通部和陆路交通管理局合作进行的，旨在增加新加坡通勤者的自动驾驶出行服务和交通选择范围。

Waymo公司表示，其自动驾驶汽车车队（包括全电动捷豹I-PACE车型）预计将在未来几个月内抵达新加坡。

2027 年，训练有素的自动驾驶专家将进行初步的手动驾驶测试，以使无人驾驶技术适应当地的道路几何形状和天气模式。

Waymo 还表示，计划于 2028 年通过其应用程序在这里推出完全自动驾驶的网约车服务。

补充公共交通

Waymo目前仅在美国运营，但已宣布计划在日本、英国和德国扩张。

该公司表示，无人驾驶汽车将补充新加坡的公共交通网络，并补充说，许多乘客经常使用他们的服务来换乘公共交通站点。

与此同时，Waymo 的全电动车队将通过减少城市碳排放和降低对私家车的依赖，为新加坡 2030 年绿色计划锦上添花。

Waymo 联合首席执行官 Tekedra Mawakana 表示：“在我们开启这段旅程之际，我们致力于倾听社区的声音，创造高技能的本地运营岗位，并与国家领导人携手合作，完善新加坡世界一流的公共交通网络。”

“陆路交通管理局将与 Waymo 密切合作，确保所有部署都符合安全和监管要求，并建立公众对自动驾驶汽车的信任，”该机构表示。

政府对司机的支持

虽然自动驾驶汽车技术正在新加坡的交通网络中引入，但陆路交通管理局向司机们保证，政府致力于为他们提供支持。

政府“不会允许自动驾驶汽车的部署超过我们重新培训和支持受影响司机的能力”，司机可以利用7月初宣布的人力过渡方案。

陆路交通管理局表示，政府还将继续与三方合作伙伴和运营商密切合作，为司机提供更多支持，包括支持司机获得新技能，并协助有意愿的司机转型到新的岗位。

交通部长萧敬腾对 Waymo 进入新加坡表示欢迎，并表示 Waymo“将推动我们朝着为新加坡人创造新的交通选择的愿景迈进”。

他还补充道：“此次合作还将加强我们的生态系统，并在这里创造新的能力和就业机会。”

dana.leong@asiaone.com