Waymo to Launch Robotaxi Service in Munich by 2027, Its First in EU

The company said Tuesday it will begin phased testing in the Bavarian capital in the coming weeks. Vehicles will first be manually driven to create high-definition maps of local streets, then tested with safety drivers before operating fully driverless. As in other cities where Waymo has deployed, employees, media and invited guests may ride in driverless vehicles during later stages of testing. Waymo is working with Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), state authorities and local officials to obtain the necessary permits, and expects to open commercial ride-hailing to the public toward the end of 2027. The company still must clear mapping, testing and regulatory hurdles before launch.

"Munich is a world-class hub for mobility and engineering, and becoming part of this city marks an important milestone in our global expansion," Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in a blog post. Florian Herrmann, head of the Bavarian state chancellery, said Bavaria is determined to be an international leader in autonomous driving, adding that the region needs to move quickly from testing to real-world deployment.

Waymo already operates commercial robotaxi services in 11 U.S. cities and is working to expand to 19 others, according to its website. Last month it announced expansions into San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa and Denver. Outside the U.S., Waymo has announced plans for London and Tokyo. In Europe, it has established subsidiaries in France, Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland, according to Engadget. The London service is expected to launch in 2026, putting Waymo in competition with UK-based Wayve and its partner Uber, as well as Chinese tech giant Baidu, which has been testing autonomous vehicles in London with Lyft and Freenow.

Germany became the first EU country to create a legal framework for Level 4 autonomous driving when lawmakers adopted legislation in 2021. Level 4 means the self-driving system handles all driving in certain conditions without expecting human takeover. That legal framework has made Germany a testing hotspot. According to KBA data, several companies, including Mobileye and Volkswagen, hold permits to test autonomous vehicles, though Waymo does not currently have any. Most permits in the country are for Level 3 conditional driving, held by firms such as Wayve and Autobrains.

As of March, Waymo had tracked nearly 221 million fully autonomous miles, according to CNBC.