Waymo plans to launch robotaxi service in Singapore by 2028

Alphabet's ↗ 0.21% self-driving unit Waymo began offering fully autonomous rides to the public in Las Vegas this week, marking the company's first commercial entry into Nevada and its latest in a rapid string of U.S. expansions.

A 24-Square-Mile Debut on the Strip and Beyond

Waymo opened the service on Monday, September 14, starting with a few dozen vehicles covering a 24-square-mile area that stretches along Interstate 15 from Boulder Junction in the south to Sahara Avenue at the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip, and from the edge of Spring Valley east to Winchester. Rides are available around the clock through the Waymo app, though the service does not yet include Harry Reid International Airport or freeway routes.news3lv+2

"Waymo is not here just for tourists," company spokesperson Mark Lewis said during a ride on Thursday. "We are here for the day-to-day activities that people might need rideshare for." The pricing and experience are designed to mirror conventional ride-hailing apps, with estimated arrival times and the option to schedule rides in advance.news3lv

Waitlist and Competition

Access is not immediate. More than 100,000 people have expressed interest in riding with Waymo in Las Vegas, and new users must be approved from a waitlist before they can hail a car. The company said it plans to scale its fleet over time.waymo+2

Waymo faces competition in Las Vegas from Zoox, which can operate on highways and at the airport but does not yet serve residential areas of the city. Las Vegas joins Denver, San Diego, and Tampa as the latest cities to receive Waymo service this month, bringing the company's U.S. footprint to 15 metropolitan areas. A New York Times report in August noted that Waymo's driverless cars now operate across that full set of cities.news3lv+3

Eyes on International Growth

The Las Vegas launch came alongside a broader international push. On September 17, Waymo announced plans to bring its robotaxi service to Singapore by 2028, with a fleet of Jaguar I-PACE vehicles arriving in the city-state in the coming months for road-mapping work. The company is also preparing launches in London, Tokyo, and Germany, and has registered operations in France, the Netherlands, and Spain.thestar+1

UNLV Transportation Research Center Director Shashi Nambisan said the vehicles' extensive sensor arrays and training data give them a built-in safety advantage. "They have been designed so they have 360-degree vision," Nambisan told News 3 Las Vegas. Waymo said it has trained more than 400 first responders in the Las Vegas area on how to manually take control of the vehicles in emergency situations.news3lv