Waymo Plans Toronto Robotaxi Service, Its First in Canada
The Alphabet-owned company said Friday it wants its first Canadian riders in 2028. Toronto-based Element Fleet Management will run the fleet, and cars will start mapping city streets in the coming days. Ontario has no rules yet for a commercial driverless service.
Waymo said Friday it plans to bring its self-driving ride-hailing service to Toronto in 2028. The move would mark the Alphabet-owned company's first deployment in Canada and its latest expansion beyond the United States.
Toronto-based Element Fleet Management will handle fleet operations. Waymo said it will begin groundwork in Canada's largest city soon, including high-definition mapping of street networks and engagement with local authorities. Cars will appear on Toronto streets in the coming days, driven manually at first, as trained specialists build the maps and validate the software before anything runs without a human at the wheel.
Waymo says the expansion will create hundreds of jobs over time in fleet maintenance, validation driving, customer service and operations. "Expanding into Canada marks an important milestone in Waymo's global journey," co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in the company's announcement. "We're proud to bring the Waymo Driver to Canada's largest city."
Toronto is the fourth market outside the U.S. that Waymo has announced, after London, Tokyo and Singapore. The company already has Canadian ties: the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is a long-term investor, and Magna International, the Ontario-based auto supplier, is its manufacturing partner.
There is a catch. Ontario has no regulations in place for a commercial driverless service, so the legal path to 2028 rides is not settled. And City Hall has questions. In April, Mayor Olivia Chow's office told the Toronto Star it would not support a Waymo launch if the service cost jobs, and that the company "must demonstrate this will not happen."
Waymo already runs commercial robotaxi services in several American cities, including San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles, and its newest vehicle, the Ojai, began taking riders in those cities earlier this year.
