¡Llegamos a Madrid! Waymo is coming to Spain

Waymo confirmed it is preparing to introduce its fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Spain, starting with the Region of Madrid. The company cited its experience with over 20 million completed trips and hundreds of thousands of commercial rides weekly as the foundation for this expansion. The service aims to welcome its first riders in 2027, with local operations beginning with manual driving before transitioning to autonomous validation with trained specialists. This phased approach is designed to ensure the Waymo Driver adapts to Madrid’s specific traffic and road conditions.

The phased rollout will include Waymo’s electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles appearing on Madrid’s streets in the coming days as part of the initial manual driving phase. Waymo emphasized a safety-first methodology, involving local autonomous specialists to validate the technology before serving riders. The company highlighted its collaboration with national, regional, and local authorities, as well as emergency services, to align with Spanish regulatory frameworks and community needs.

Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana described Madrid as a key innovation hub and expressed enthusiasm for serving residents. The company framed its entry into Spain as aligned with the region’s goals for safer, more accessible, and zero-emission mobility. Waymo also noted its engagement with local partners and investment in local operations to support the service’s launch and long-term viability.

Spanish road safety organizations welcomed Waymo’s initiative, citing autonomous driving’s potential to reduce human-error-related crashes. FESVIAL’s president emphasized the technology’s role in preventing mistakes and saving lives, while AESLEME underscored the priority of eliminating preventable traffic fatalities. Waymo referenced data showing its technology was involved in 95% fewer serious-injury crashes than human drivers in cities where it operates.