Waymo says it is coming to Spain, starting with Madrid, and plans to launch fully autonomous ride hailing there in 2027
隆Hola, Region of Madrid! 馃嚜馃嚫 We鈥檙e thrilled to announce that we鈥檙e coming to Spain, beginning with Madrid. This will be our first region in Spain and second in the European Union. We plan to launch fully autonomous ride-hailing in Madrid in 2027. Sign up for future updates: t.co/gOp8VmhqCb 隆Hola, Comunidad de Madrid! 馃嚜馃嚫 Nos emociona anunciar que llegamos a Espa帽a, empezando por Madrid. Esta ser谩 nuestra primera regi贸n en Espa帽a y la segunda en la Uni贸n Europea. Planeamos lanzar nuestro servicio de ride-hailing totalmente aut贸nomo en la Comunidad en 2027.
Context
Driverless ride hailing spreading into Europe would test how robotaxis work under EU rules and in dense European cities.
Waymo is Alphabet's self driving company and says on its profile it has served more than 20 million trips. Madrid will be its first region in Spain and its second in the European Union, according to the post.
Deep dive
On October 20, Waymo posted in English and Spanish that it is coming to Spain, beginning with the Region of Madrid. It said this will be its first region in Spain and second in the European Union, and that it plans to launch fully autonomous ride hailing in Madrid in 2027. The post links to a page where people can sign up for updates.
The graphic shows a Waymo vehicle, a Jaguar fitted with its roof sensors, in front of the Madrid skyline.
The post did not say when testing will begin, how many vehicles will run, whether a safety driver phase will come first, or which Spanish and EU approvals Waymo still needs. It also did not name a local partner. Launching in 2027 depends on those steps, so the date is a plan rather than a commitment.
Waymo operates driverless ride hailing in several US cities, and Madrid would extend that service to Spain for the first time. Expanding into Europe means working under different traffic laws, approval processes and street layouts than in the US, and the company did not say how it will adapt its service for Madrid.
What to expect next
Watch for Waymo to say when it will start mapping and testing in Madrid, and which Spanish and EU approvals it needs before carrying paying riders. The 2027 target will depend on how quickly regulators sign off. Also watch for details on the vehicles and service area Waymo plans for Madrid, and for rival robotaxi companies to announce European plans in response.