Waymo confirms AV launch talks with Australian officials

Waymo has confirmed that discussions are underway with Australian officials regarding its autonomous vehicle technology, following previous reports suggesting that the Alphabet-owned company could launch robotaxi services in the country as early as 2026. A spokesperson told Zag Daily that “Waymo has global ambitions” and actively engages with regulators worldwide “to explain our technology and advocate for policies that would allow us to serve riders just as we do in the US.”

Freedom of information documents released earlier in January revealed meetings between Waymo officials and Mike Makin, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication, Sport and the Arts, during 2025. George Ivanov, Waymo’s Head of International Policy and Government Affairs, also wrote to Transport Minister Catherine King in October requesting a “confidential briefing” to outline the company’s “2026 plans in Australia”.

Any Australian deployment would require regulatory approval under current state and territory permit schemes that govern autonomous vehicle testing on public roads. The federal government is developing a national Automated Vehicle Safety Law, not expected until 2027, suggesting Waymo’s 2026 ambitions may prove optimistic unless granted testing approval by individual states. Early-stage engagement suggests that Waymo may even be looking to help shape the country’s autonomous driving regulatory framework before it is formalised.

Waymo operates fully driverless SAE Level 4 robotaxi services across Arizona, California, Florida, Texas and Georgia. The company uses Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs for much of its fleet and signed agreements with Hyundai to deploy Ioniq 5 vehicles, while collaborating with Zeekr to develop a purpose-built ride-hailing vehicle featuring no steering wheel.

Now, the autonomous driving company is pursuing aggressive international expansion after years focusing exclusively on US markets. Waymo began testing right-hand-drive vehicles in Tokyo during 2025, and plans to launch commercial driverless service in London later in 2026.

Waymo is targeting expansion to more than 20 US markets by end-2026, with public services currently available in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta. The company plans launches in Miami, Orlando, Dallas, Las Vegas, Washington DC, Nashville, Detroit and San Diego throughout the year.