Waymo Plans Toronto Robotaxi Service for 2028, Its First in Canada

Alphabet self-driving unit Waymo said on October 16 that it plans to bring its autonomous ride-hailing service to Toronto in 2028, marking the company first planned deployment in Canada and its latest move beyond the United States. Waymo said it will partner with Toronto-based Element Fleet Management for fleet operations, and that it will create hundreds of jobs over time in fleet maintenance, validation driving, customer service and operations.

Waymo follows the same playbook in every new city: vehicles are first driven manually to create high-definition maps of local streets, then autonomous vehicles are tested on public roads with a human safety operator on board, and only after that phase are members of the public invited to take driverless rides. The company received approval to participate in Ontario automated vehicle pilot program, which makes the Toronto work possible.

Toronto is a meaningful test for the technology because it is the northernmost and possibly most wintry city Waymo has attempted, with snow, ice and freeze-thaw road conditions that stress sensors and driving software. The move fits an aggressive expansion push: two years ago Waymo operated in only three commercial markets, but today it runs robotaxi services in 15 United States cities and is testing in London and Tokyo, with Singapore and Spain also announced.