EVwire brief: Waymo is bringing its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to Spain, starting with the Region of Madrid, and aims to welcome its first riders in 2027. Spain is the third European country Waymo has officially said it is entering, after the UK (London) and Germany (Munich).
Waymo's electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles will begin appearing on the region's streets in the coming days. Similar to other markets, the company is starting with manual driving, then moving to technical validation with trained local autonomous specialists behind the wheel.
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana welcomed the expansion in the company's announcement:
"Madrid is an incredible capital of innovation and an integral part of our growing global presence. We can't wait to serve Madrileños. We share the region’s commitment to safer, more accessible, and zero-emission mobility, and we look forward to serving as a collaborative partner in achieving those goals."
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The announcement also drew backing from Spain's road safety community. Ignacio Lijarcio, President of the Spanish Road Safety Foundation (FESVIAL), said autonomous driving could help make Spain's roads safer:
"Technology reaches its true purpose when placed at the service of people. At FESVIAL, we believe autonomous driving represents a great opportunity to turn innovation into an ally of human capability and road safety, helping prevent mistakes, anticipate risks, and save lives."
Waymo shared the news on its official X account:
Waymo says it is working with national, regional and local authorities, familiarizing emergency services with its technology, and investing in the local operations needed to run the service.
Mar Cogollos, Director of the Spanish Association for the Study of Spinal Cord Injury (AESLEME), also backed the launch, pointing to the role of human error in road accidents:
"Autonomous vehicles represent a major step forward in reducing traffic casualties by eliminating human error, which is behind more than 90% of road accidents. Their technology removes the main driver risks: distractions, fatigue, alcohol and drug consumption, speeding, or failing to maintain safe following distances."
The company pointed to its safety record as part of the pitch. According to Waymo, data from over 400 million fully autonomous kilometers (about 249 million miles) shows its vehicles were involved in 95% fewer crashes with serious injury or worse than human drivers in the cities it serves. Waymo also says it has completed more than 20 million trips and serves hundreds of thousands of commercial rides every week.
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Context:
Waymo has been laying the paperwork for Spain for months. Its Spanish subsidiary, Waymo Iberia SL, entered the commercial registry in Madrid in June, alongside a newly incorporated Waymo France. Madrid now joins London, which Waymo picked for its European debut with a 2026 launch target, and Munich, where Waymo is targeting public rides by late 2027. Waymo has also teamed up with Allianz Partners on insurance and safety research for its European robotaxis.
The Spain announcement caps a busy few weeks of expansion news from the company. Waymo recently confirmed plans to launch in Canada in 2028 and in Singapore in 2028, while opening rides to everyone in San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa. This means that Madrid is now one of a growing list of cities outside the US lined up for Waymo's next wave of launches.
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