Waymo is preparing to bring its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to Toronto in 2028, marking a major step in the company’s international expansion and introducing a potential new competitor for Uber, Lyft and traditional taxi services in Canada.
The Alphabet-owned autonomous driving company plans to invest in local facilities and operations while working with Canadian partners to establish its robotaxi service. The expansion will also create hundreds of jobs over time, covering vehicle maintenance, validation driving, customer service and other operational roles.
Before carrying passengers, Waymo will begin preparing its technology for Toronto’s roads, starting with manually driven vehicles and detailed mapping of the city’s street network.
Waymo Robotaxis to Begin Testing on Toronto Streets
Toronto residents could start seeing Waymo vehicles on local streets as the company begins its initial testing phase. However, the vehicles will initially be operated manually by trained drivers rather than driving autonomously.
The early stage will focus on high-definition mapping, road validation and gathering information about Toronto’s unique driving conditions. This approach is designed to help the Waymo Driver adapt to the city’s road layouts, traffic patterns and wider transportation environment before fully driverless rides become available.
Waymo has adopted a phased, safety-focused approach to expansion, with the company aiming to welcome its first Toronto passengers in 2028.
“Expanding into Canada marks an important milestone in Waymo’s global journey,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo. She described Toronto as an innovative and diverse city, adding that the company hopes to work with local business, arts and cultural communities to support safer streets and more accessible transportation.
Element Fleet Management to Support Waymo’s Canadian Expansion
Waymo has partnered with Toronto-headquartered Element Fleet Management to support the launch and ongoing operation of its autonomous fleet.
Element will provide fleet management services, helping Waymo establish the operational infrastructure needed to run a driverless ride-hailing business in Canada. The partnership is expected to support hundreds of jobs over time in areas such as vehicle servicing, fleet maintenance, validation driving and customer support.
The expansion also builds on Waymo’s existing connections to Canada, including its long-term investor relationship with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and its manufacturing partnership with Magna International.
For Toronto, the investment could bring new employment opportunities while establishing the local infrastructure required to support a growing autonomous mobility sector.
Can Waymo Robotaxis Compete With Uber and Traditional Taxis?
Waymo’s planned arrival could reshape Toronto’s ride-hailing market by introducing vehicles capable of transporting passengers without a human driver.
The service would create another option for people travelling around the city, alongside conventional taxis, Uber, Lyft and public transportation. Its eventual impact will depend on factors such as service availability, pricing, passenger demand and the regulatory requirements for fully autonomous vehicles.
Waymo says its autonomous driving system is designed to complement existing transportation networks rather than replace them. The company points to Toronto’s combination of public transit, cycling infrastructure and growing mobility needs as an opportunity for an additional transportation option.
The company already operates robotaxi services in multiple U.S. markets, including Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco and Tampa.
In Atlanta and Austin, passengers can also access Waymo robotaxis through the Uber app, alongside trips provided by human drivers. This arrangement demonstrates how autonomous ride-hailing services can operate alongside established transportation platforms.
Toronto’s launch would extend Waymo’s operations beyond the United States and add another major international market to its expansion plans.
Waymo Highlights Safety Results From Autonomous Driving
Safety remains central to Waymo’s expansion strategy, particularly as autonomous vehicles prepare to operate in a new country and urban environment.
The company says its vehicles have accumulated more than 400 million kilometres of fully autonomous driving experience. According to Waymo, its system was involved in 95% fewer crashes resulting in serious injuries or worse than human drivers across the cities where it operates.
The company has also reported 82% fewer injury-causing crashes and 82% fewer crashes involving airbag deployment compared with the average human driver.
These figures are based on Waymo’s own analysis and comparisons across its operating markets. They provide an indication of the company’s reported safety performance, although results from existing U.S. operations do not automatically establish how the technology will perform under Toronto’s specific conditions.
The upcoming mapping and validation phase will therefore be an important step in preparing the system for local roads before passengers are carried in fully driverless vehicles.
Accessibility Will Be Part of Waymo’s Toronto Plans
Waymo says it is engaging with accessibility and mobility advocacy organizations as it prepares to enter the Canadian market.
Its collaborators include BALANCE for Blind Adults, CNIB, Community Living Toronto, Connected Canadians and Epilepsy Ontario, among others.
The discussions are intended to help inform how autonomous ride-hailing could serve people with disabilities and passengers who face barriers when using conventional transportation services.
For autonomous ride-hailing to become a practical transportation option, accessible booking tools, convenient passenger pickup and drop-off, and support for different mobility needs will be important considerations.
Toronto Is Part of Waymo’s Wider Global Expansion
The planned Canadian launch forms part of a broader effort by Waymo to expand its autonomous ride-hailing business into additional U.S. and international markets.
Beyond Toronto, the company has announced plans involving London and Tokyo, while also targeting additional American cities, including Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Sacramento, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.
The expansion reflects Waymo’s ambition to move autonomous ride-hailing beyond its established markets and make driverless transportation available to more passengers.
Toronto presents a significant opportunity because of its size, economic importance and established transportation network. However, the company will need to validate its technology locally and meet applicable requirements before launching a fully autonomous passenger service.
For now, the first step will be getting Waymo vehicles onto Toronto’s streets for manual driving, mapping and testing. If the rollout proceeds as planned, residents could begin booking rides in fully driverless Waymo vehicles in 2028, adding a new competitor to Canada’s ride-hailing market.
