Is Waymo launching soon in Australia?

Plus, WeRide surpasses 1,000 AVs worldwide; launches in Singapore.

Welcome to the Ride AI newsletter: your weekly digest of news and intelligence at the intersection of technology and transportation.

Now, Here’s What You Need To Know Today.

Waymo is in talks with a certain Chinese EV brand for an Australian launch.

According to the Australian Financial Review, the company is exploring launching a driverless ride-hailing service in Australia as early as this year. Waymo has begun laying the groundwork in Sydney, including searching for office space and holding discussions with a specific China EV manufacturer, according to people familiar with the plans. Those talks are likely to have been held with Geely, which owns the Zeekr brand, which builds Waymo’s new Ojai ride vehicle. Neither company has confirmed whether that relationship would extend to Australia. The move comes as Waymo accelerates global expansion, with plans to begin operations this year in cities including London, Denver, Las Vegas, and New Orleans.

Australia, like the United States, currently lacks a national framework for automated vehicle safety, requiring companies to seek approval at the state level. According to the Australian Financial Review, New South Wales is seen as more permissive for testing, while Victoria requires closer human supervision during trials. Waymo has reportedly held early discussions with the New South Wales government but has not yet filed a formal testing application.

In the United States, aggressive pedestrians have been a continued problem for the company. I look forward to the company adding aggressive kangaroos to its list of long tail problems. (get it? cause kangaroos have long tails…)

WeRide’s global robotaxi fleet surpasses 1,000 vehicles.

The Chinese autonomous driving company said its global robotaxi fleet has reached 1,023 vehicles, crossing the 1,000-vehicle mark as it pushes toward larger-scale commercial deployment. WeRide said the fleet is now operating across more than 10 core cities worldwide, with fully driverless commercial services already running in Guangzhou, Beijing, and Abu Dhabi. The company added that its Abu Dhabi operations are approaching “single-vehicle profitability”, but stops short from disclosing what that number might be.

PC: WeRide

Alongside this news, the company is also preparing to open its first autonomous shuttle routes in Singapore to everyday riders. The shuttles, operated in partnership with Singaporean super app Grab, will run on weekdays during the day with 5 and 8 seater vehicles. Schedules and real-time tracking will be available through the Grab app and no pre-booking will be required. Singapore’s Land Transport Authority clarified to The Straits Times that a safety driver will remain onboard when the service goes live to the public.

PC: WeRide

In September of 2024, WeRide announced a partnership with Uber to make its robotaxis available on Uber’s global platform, while still allowing booking domestically via its own app. Now, the company has released its own mini app on WeChat, China’s leading super app. The mini app, called WeRide Go, allows users to book WeRide AVs without having to download a separate app or sign up with a separate service. When I tested WeRide’s service last year in China, the number one issue I had was signing up for its own app. Now that the service can be booked via WeChat, the process should be more streamlined and the cars easier to book.

In Other News…

• We absolutely do know that Waymos are safer than human drivers

• Zoox robotaxi strikes parked car, injuring S.F. street ambassador, company says contact ‘unavoidable’

• Tesla will stop selling FSD after Feb 14

Alright, that’s it from me… until next week. If you enjoy this newsletter, share it with your friend, colleague, or boss. Thank you for reading; Sophia out!