Waymo picks Toronto as first Canadian city, targets riders in 2028

Waymo is expanding its robotaxis to Canada, with Toronto being the first city to receive them. The company plans to start manual driving in the city and begin public riders in 2028. Ontario hasn’t established rules for commercial driverless services yet, creating uncertainty around the launch. Waymo is partnering with Element Fleet Management, headquartered in Toronto, and plans to create hundreds of jobs in fleet maintenance, validation driving, and customer service. The company claims it has driven over 400 million autonomous kilometers and has a safety record of 95% fewer crashes than human drivers. However, Ontario’s rules expire in 2027, and the province hasn’t yet created a commercial framework for driverless services. The safety case is based on Waymo’s US record, but the timeline depends on Ontario’s future regulations.

• Waymo will start manual driving in Toronto and begin public riders in 2028.
• Ontario hasn’t established rules for commercial driverless services yet.
• Waymo is partnering with Element Fleet Management and plans to create hundreds of jobs in fleet maintenance, validation driving, and customer service.
• Waymo claims it has driven over 400 million fully autonomous kilometers and has a safety record of 95% fewer crashes than human drivers.
• Ontario’s rules expire in 2027, and the province hasn’t yet created a commercial framework for driverless services.
• Waymo’s safety case is based on its US record, but the timeline depends on Ontario’s future regulations.

Toronto will test Waymo’s all-weather system, which is designed to handle snow, road salt, and freezing rain. The city will check if the system actually works in these conditions. Tesla’s Robotaxi service runs in seven US cities but hasn’t disclosed how many cars operate without a safety monitor, and its fleet has been barely running for much of the year. Waymo’s expansion is seen as a way to build a US service that now does half a million paid trips a week. However, Ontario’s regulatory framework is still in place, and the province hasn’t yet created a commercial framework for driverless services. The city’s mayor has made jobs the condition for her support, but Waymo is emphasizing the importance of data collection and safety before riders pay for a ride. The timeline depends on Ontario’s future regulations, which are still in development.

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