Waymo starts mapping Toronto and plans its first riders for 2028

Waymo starts mapping Toronto and plans its first riders for 2028

16 October 2026: Waymo has picked Toronto as its first Canadian city, with the aim of carrying its first fully autonomous ride-hailing passengers there in 2028. Its vehicles will appear on Toronto streets within days, driven manually while the company maps the city, and Toronto-based Element Fleet Management will run the fleet.

Not yet independently verified. Waymo's post does not name the Ontario programme it will drive under; that comes from TechCrunch and BetaKit, and we have not yet read the province's own page on Waymo's participation. We will update this when it can be confirmed, and remove this note.

Two years of mapping and supervised testing

Waymo describes a phased approach. It starts with high-definition mapping of the local street network, then tests with trained autonomous specialists behind the wheel to check that the Waymo Driver copes with Toronto's conditions, before any rider service. The company stresses that its system is built for all weather, which a Canadian winter will test.

"Expanding into Canada marks an important milestone in Waymo's global journey," said co-chief executive Tekedra Mawakana. TechCrunch and BetaKit report that Waymo has approval to take part in Ontario's automated vehicle pilot programme, under which the cars run with human drivers until 2028.

The fleet operator is local

Element Fleet Management will provide end-to-end fleet management services in Toronto. Waymo says that together with Element and other partners it will invest in hundreds of roles over time, in fleet maintenance, validation driving, customer service and other operations. "As a Canadian company, we are proud to be expanding our partnership with Waymo," said Laura Dottori-Attanasio, Element's chief executive.

The arrangement follows the pattern Waymo has used elsewhere, where a fleet partner handles depots, cleaning and maintenance while Waymo supplies the driving system and the ride service. Waymo also points to existing Canadian ties: the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is a long-term investor, and Magna International is its manufacturing partner.

Accessibility groups and a safety claim

Waymo says it is working with accessibility and mobility organisations including BALANCE for Blind Adults, CNIB, Community Living Toronto, Connected Canadians and Epilepsy Ontario. On safety, it cites data from more than 400 million fully autonomous kilometres showing its system was involved in 95% fewer crashes with serious injury or worse than human drivers in the cities where it operates. That figure is Waymo's own analysis.

TechCrunch notes Waymo runs services in 15 US cities and is testing in London and Tokyo. BetaKit reports that a group called Technologists for Democracy has asked for a pause over privacy, labour and congestion concerns. Waymo has not given a fleet size or a service area for Toronto, and riders can only sign up for updates for now.

Company profile on TrustList: Waymo

Related on TrustList:

• Mobileye plans its own robotaxi service starting in 2027
• Geely takes 30% of NIO Power and NIO 10% of Haohan Energy

Sources

• Waymo: Hello Toronto! Waymo is En Route, 16 October 2026
• TechCrunch: Waymo's robotaxis are headed to Canada, 16 October 2026
• BetaKit: Waymo to begin robotaxi pilot in Toronto, but with human drivers until 2028, 16 October 2026