The US company Waymo intends to offer robotaxis in Munich in the future and will put vehicles on the streets of the Bavarian state capital for test drives within the next few weeks. "In the coming weeks, the first Waymo vehicles will be seen on Munich's roads – initially still driven manually through the city," the subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet announced on Tuesday. "Towards the end of 2027, we then want to make our ride service available to the public."
"We are starting with the mapping of the road network and are carrying out initial test drives with specially trained personnel at the wheel," the company further stated. During this trial phase, it will be ensured that the autonomous system "is optimally attuned to the particular characteristics of Munich traffic". "At every step in preparing our ride service, the trust of the public is our top priority," Waymo co-chief executive Tekedra Mawakana affirmed.
"We want to make Germany a world-leading location for innovation and production in autonomous driving. We have already created the legal framework for this," the company quoted Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Transport, as saying. Waymo has "now recognised Germany's potential as a location with legal certainty: it is currently planning the first market launch of autonomous vehicles in Germany in regular operation." The ambition must be that "these technologies are not only used in Europe, but also developed and operated here".
In Hamburg, Volkswagen's shared-taxi service Moia is already trialling autonomous driving in a designated test area. There too, according to Moia, every journey during the test phase is "carried out with safety drivers who actively monitor the entire process".
From breaking news to thought-provoking opinion pieces, our newsletter keeps you informed & engaged.
By subscribing, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
