Waymo to launch autonomous ride-hailing in Toronto by 2028

Waymo, the autonomous driving subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has announced its expansion into Canada, selecting Toronto as its first Canadian market. The company aims to launch a fully autonomous ride-hailing service by 2028.

As part of a phased approach under Ontario’s Automated Vehicle Pilot Program, Waymo will soon begin manual driving operations in the city. These initial stages will focus on high-definition mapping of local street networks and data collection to help the ‘Waymo Driver’ system adapt to Toronto’s specific traffic patterns, infrastructure, and winter weather conditions. During this validation period, trained specialists will remain behind the wheel.

To support its operations, Waymo is partnering with Toronto-based Element Fleet Management, which will provide end-to-end fleet management services. The expansion is expected to create hundreds of local jobs in areas such as fleet maintenance, customer service, and operations. Waymo also noted existing ties to Canada through its manufacturing partner, Magna International, and investor, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.