Waymo plans to begin testing its autonomous vehicles in Madrid ahead of a commercial robotaxi launch in 2027, adding Spain as its latest European market2. The Alphabet-owned company will bring its electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles to the Madrid region in the coming days.
The vehicles will not immediately operate without drivers. Testing will initially take place manually before transitioning to autonomous operation with trained safety drivers behind the wheel, following a phased approach. Waymo is not yet offering commercial rides in Madrid. The company says testing could take place around the clock, seven days a week, under Spain's Directorate-General for Traffic guidelines.
Waymo enters Madrid alongside Uber and WeRide, both of which are also pursuing robotaxi operations in the Spanish capital1.
Madrid is Waymo's second planned market in the European Union, following Munich, which became its first EU target. The company is also preparing to launch operations in London. Waymo confirmed plans to bring its robotaxi service to Toronto in 2028.
Waymo arrives in Spain having completed more than 20 million trips and over 400 million kilometres of fully autonomous driving. The company is separately planning to scale its fleet to 20,000 vehicles by the end of 2027[2].
ANALYSIS The Madrid entry, combined with Munich, London, and Toronto, marks a rapid internationalization cadence for a company that until recently operated in U.S. cities. The presence of Uber and WeRide in Madrid adds a direct competitive dimension that Waymo has not faced in most of its domestic service areas.