Waymo Expands to Canada, Starting With Toronto Under Ontario's Pilot Program
The Alphabet unit has approval to join Ontario's automated vehicle pilot and will begin with manual mapping, with no rider service date announced.
Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving unit, said on Friday it is expanding into Canada, with Toronto as its first city there, after receiving approval to take part in Ontario's automated vehicle pilot program, TechCrunch reported, citing a Waymo blog post.
How the rollout will work
Waymo is not launching a robotaxi service yet. It said it will follow the same sequence it uses in other cities:
- Drive vehicles manually around Toronto to build high-definition maps.
- Test autonomous vehicles on public roads with a human safety operator on board.
- Move operators out of the driver's seat, then open rides to the public.
No dates were given for any stage.
Local partner and jobs
Waymo has partnered with Toronto-based Element Fleet Management to manage its fleet there. The company expects the arrangement to support hundreds of jobs in fleet maintenance, validation driving, customer service and operations.
Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana described the expansion as an important milestone in Waymo's global journey, according to the report.
Context
Toronto is the northernmost city Waymo has tried to operate in, and winter conditions there are likely to test its technology and operations. TechCrunch reported that Waymo now runs robotaxi service in 15 U.S. cities and is testing in London and Tokyo. Two years ago it operated commercially in three markets, and its recent expansion began with Austin in March 2025, followed by Atlanta.
Earlier this month Waymo closed a $5 billion term loan, its first debt financing.
