Waymo starts groundwork for fully autonomous ride-hailing in Madrid, aiming for first riders in 2027
Waymo will begin putting its electric Jaguar I-PACE cars on streets in the Region of Madrid in the coming days as it lays the groundwork for a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Spain, with first riders targeted…
- more than 20 million
- more than 400 million
- 95% (20x fewer)
- 2027
What Happened
Waymo announced it is laying the groundwork for a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Spain, beginning with the Region of Madrid. The company says it has completed more than 20 million trips and serves hundreds of thousands of commercial rides each week, and it aims to welcome its first riders in 2027. In the coming days, its electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles will begin appearing on the region's streets, under a methodical, phased, safety-first approach that starts with manual driving before moving to rigorous technical validation with local, trained autonomous specialists behind the wheel. That validation period is meant to ensure the Waymo Driver adapts seamlessly to the region's unique traffic patterns and road conditions. Waymo says the Waymo Driver is designed to strengthen urban mobility while supporting the region's vision for safer and more accessible mobility.
Waymo announces it is laying the groundwork for fully autonomous ride-hailing in the Region of Madrid, with the aim of welcoming its first riders in 2027.
Waymo's electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles begin appearing on streets in the region.
Manual driving of the vehicles as the starting point of the phased, safety-first approach.
Rigorous technical validation with local, trained autonomous specialists behind the wheel, so the Waymo Driver adapts to the region's traffic patterns and road conditions.
Target date for welcoming the first riders.
“Madrid is an incredible capital of innovation and an integral part of our growing global presence. We can't wait to serve Madrileños. We're proud to bring Waymo to Spain, beginning with the Region of Madrid. We share the region's commitment to safer, more accessible, and zero-emission mobility, and we look forward to serving as a collaborative partner in achieving those goals.”
95%
Waymo Driver versus human drivers in the cities where Waymo operates, based on more than 400 million fully autonomous kilometres driven — a rate the company describes as 20 times lower.
- Engaging with national, regional and local authorities.
- Familiarising emergency services with its technology.
- Engaging with local partners.
- Investing in the local operations needed to support the service.
- Aligning its presence with Spanish national and regional regulatory frameworks and community needs.
“Technology reaches its true purpose when placed at the service of people. At FESVIAL, we believe autonomous driving represents a great opportunity to turn innovation into an ally of human capability and road safety, helping prevent mistakes, anticipate risks, and save lives. The arrival of new autonomous mobility solutions in Spain should allow us to move forward, with rigor and confidence, toward a mobility model that is increasingly safe, accessible, and centered on people.”
“Autonomous vehicles represent a major step forward in reducing traffic casualties by eliminating human error, which is behind more than 90% of road accidents. Their technology removes the main driver risks: distractions, fatigue, alcohol and drug consumption, speeding, or failing to maintain safe following distances. For AESLEME, the priority is to achieve safe mobility where no one loses their life or suffers serious injury in an avoidable road accident.”
Previously from Waymo LLC
Waymo has been announcing a string of expansions outside the United States. In August 2026 it said it would bring fully autonomous ride-hailing to Munich, starting with manual mapping and testing and aiming for a public launch by late 2027. In September 2026 it said it would launch fully autonomous, all-electric commercial ride-hailing in Singapore in 2028, bookable through the Waymo app in partnership with the country's transport authorities. Days before the Madrid announcement, it said it was expanding into Canada, targeting its first riders in Toronto in 2028.
- Waymo to launch fully autonomous ride-hailing in Munich by end of 2027
- Waymo to launch fully autonomous, all-electric ride-hailing in Singapore in 2028
- Waymo heads to Toronto, targeting first autonomous ride-hailing riders in 2028
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Waymo LLC's official releases.
Why this matters
If Waymo's phased testing and its talks with Spanish authorities go to plan, riders in the Region of Madrid could book a fully driverless trip in 2027. The company says it is engaging national, regional and local officials, familiarising emergency services with its technology and investing in local operations, so the arrival touches public agencies and local partners as well as passengers.
Terms in This Story
- Waymo Driver
- Waymo's name for its self-driving system — the hardware and software that pilot its vehicles without a human driver.
- autonomous specialist
- A trained operator who sits behind the wheel of a self-driving test vehicle to monitor the system and take over when needed during validation.
- FESVIAL
- The Spanish Road Safety Foundation, a Spanish road-safety organization.
- AESLEME
- The Spanish Association for the Study of Spinal Cord Injury, an organization focused on road safety and preventing serious road injuries.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.