On August 25, 2026, Waymo announced it is preparing a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Munich, Germany. It’s a plan, not a launch.
What’s new
- Waymo vehicles will appear on Munich streets in the coming weeks, driven manually at first.
- The company will then build high-definition maps and test with trained autonomous specialists behind the wheel.
- Waymo aims to open commercial service to the public toward the end of 2027.
What isn’t confirmed
- Approvals: Waymo says it is still talking with local, state and federal officials about what it needs to carry passengers in Germany.
- The 2027 date is a target that depends on regulatory approval.
- The announcement names no vehicle model and no fare.
What officials and partners said
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said earning the community’s trust is the company’s top priority, and that Waymo plans to invest in local fleet operations and create high-skilled jobs. Christian Hirte, a parliamentary state secretary at Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, said Germany has already put its legal framework in place. Florian Herrmann, head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, said the region now needs to move quickly from testing to real-world deployment.
Maik Schubert, CEO of the Schubert & Wetzel Guide Dog School, called the launch an exciting step toward safer mobility options for blind and visually impaired people, including guide dog users. That’s his view of the potential. Nobody has yet tested a Munich service with blind riders.
Why It Matters to You
- If you live in or visit Munich, a Waymo ride isn’t available yet. Public service is targeted for toward the end of 2027, and only if approvals come through.
- Blind and visually impaired riders, including guide dog users, are among those a partner expects could gain, but no Munich testing with them has happened.
- Waymo runs a sign-up page for updates on its Germany plans at waymo.com/waymo-in-germany.
Reading Waymo’s safety numbers
Waymo’s announcement says its driver has covered more than 350 million fully autonomous kilometers and has 16 times fewer serious-injury crashes, 14 times fewer pedestrian injury crashes and 6 times fewer cyclist injury crashes than human drivers. The page gives no time period. These are Waymo’s own figures.
Waymo’s Safety Impact page shows 271.3 million rider-only miles through June 2026. It compares Waymo with human crash rates on surface streets in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin, drawn from police-reported crash records, and reports 95% fewer serious-injury crashes, 93% fewer pedestrian injury crashes and 86% fewer cyclist injury crashes.
Those benchmarks come from US cities. Munich has different road layouts, traffic rules and cyclist numbers, so the results may not transfer. No Munich data exists yet, so promises of safer rides there are premature.
Quick answers
When can I ride a Waymo in Munich? Waymo aims to open public ride-hailing toward the end of 2027. Mapping and testing with trained specialists come first.
Does Waymo have approval to operate in Germany? Waymo says it is engaging officials on the approvals it needs. A German federal official said the legal framework is already in place, but the announcement doesn’t describe a permit for Waymo.
Will there be a driver in the car? Not at launch, if the plan holds. The first phase uses manual driving, then testing with trained specialists behind the wheel.
Where can I get updates? Waymo runs a sign-up page for updates on its Germany plans at waymo.com/waymo-in-germany.
Sources
- Waymo: Servus München: Waymo is Coming to Germany (Aug 25, 2026)
- Waymo: Safety Impact data hub (accessed Oct 13, 2026; data through June 2026)