Overview
- Waymo, which announced the Munich plan on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, said vehicles will appear in the city within weeks and will initially be driven manually to create detailed street maps.
- The rollout will follow a phased path of manual mapping, supervised autonomous testing with trained specialists, limited service and full commercial ride‑hailing targeted for the end of 2027.
- Waymo registered Waymo Germany GmbH with Munich commercial records in mid‑2026 and has begun local hiring and operational set‑up but does not yet hold German testing or operating permits.
- The company says its safety record includes more than 350 million autonomous kilometres and fewer serious‑injury crashes than human drivers, and it has pledged local investment and skilled jobs in Munich.
- Munich places Waymo in the heart of Germany’s auto industry where regulators, city rules and rivals such as Uber/Autobrains, Baidu/Lyft, Wayve and OEMs will shape how quickly fully driverless service can start.