Waymo Opens Branch in Germany

Time and again, visitors from Germany in San Francisco ask me when Waymo robotaxis will come to Europe—and specifically, to Germany. Waymo robotaxis are already in the testing phase in London, and commercial robotaxi service is expected to begin there this fall.

Now, German daily FAZ reports that Waymo has established a German subsidiary under the name Waymo Deutschland GmbH and registered it in the commercial register at the Munich Local Court. The company was founded on May 13, and the registration took place on June 15, 2026.

As its next steps, Waymo will likely—in addition to setting up and establishing its branch office and providing vehicles—first apply for a testing permit that allows autonomous test vehicles to drive through and map a test area, although initially a safety driver must still be present in the vehicle and no payment may be charged for this service. Commercial operations can only begin once the company obtains a license for commercial passenger transportation under the PBefG. The PBefG is already geared toward driverless vehicles, but so far not a single company has gone through this process, and none has obtained such a permit.

With Waymo, this could change rapidly in Germany as well, since Waymo has been operating its driverless robotaxi service commercially for years in 11 metropolitan areas in the U.S. and currently conducts more than two million such trips per month.

The FAZ also reports that the recruitment agency WIFI has posted job listings for test drivers in Munich and Berlin. The company’s founding location itself seems to indicate where Waymo’s first test area will be: Munich, and—if you put two and two together—probably Berlin as well.

How soon do you think Waymo’s robotaxi service could begin commercial driverless operations? Probably as early as 2027 or by spring 2028 at the latest, which will depend primarily on how quickly the German authorities act.

This article was also published in German.