US company Waymo said on Tuesday it would begin testing its autonomous vehicles in the German capital Munich in the next few weeks, Reuters reported. The tests would lay the groundwork for the company to launch a commercial ride-hailing service in the country, which it aims to introduce towards the end of 2027.
According to Waymo, the vehicles would initially be driven manually across the capital to map local roads. Trained autonomous technology experts will also conduct tests with the vehicles.
The autonomous technology company, which is part of Alphabet, believes that this testing period will help its autonomous driving system adapt to Munich’s driving conditions before launching the service.
Reuters reported that the company is already engaging with officials to obtain regulatory approvals needed to offer its self-driving services in Germany. The company also plans to invest in local vehicle fleet operations and create high-skilled jobs.
American Uber, Croatian Verge and Chinese Pony.ai launched autonomous rides in Croatia’s capital Zagreb last week. The Croatian capital has become the first European city where people can book the service through the Uber app.
Waymo launched its commercial autonomous ride-hailing service in the Metro Phoenix area of Arizona, USA, in 2018, and the company has since expanded its services to several states in the United States.
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