You can soon ride Waymo's robotaxis in Canada
What's the story
Waymo, the self-driving car division of Alphabet, is expanding its operations into Canada. The company has received approval to join Ontario's automated vehicle pilot program. However, it won't be launching a full-fledged robotaxi service immediately. Instead, Waymo will follow its usual approach of manual mapping and testing before eventually rolling out a commercial service in the new market.
Operational strategy
Mapping Toronto before launching robotaxi service
Waymo has announced its plan to manually drive its self-driving cars in Toronto. The aim is to create high-definition maps of the local street networks.
After this, the company will test its autonomous vehicles on public roads with a human safety operator on board.
Eventually, these operators will be removed from the driver's seat and the public will be invited to ride in its robotaxis.
Growth trajectory
Waymo's global expansion
Waymo's entry into Canada is part of an aggressive expansion strategy.
The company started its growth journey in March 2025 with a launch in Austin, followed by Atlanta.
Today, it operates robotaxi services in 15 US cities and is testing them in London and Tokyo as well.
This global reach shows Waymo's commitment to making autonomous driving a reality across different markets.
Strategic alliance
Partnership with Element Fleet Management
As part of its accelerated expansion strategy, Waymo has started partnering with third-party companies to manage its fleet in each city.
In Toronto, the company has teamed up with Element Fleet Management.
This partnership is expected to create hundreds of jobs in areas like fleet maintenance, validation driving, customer service, and operations.