Waymo said on Tuesday it will begin laying the groundwork for a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Munich, its first German market and second in Europe, with commercial rides targeted for the end of 2027. Vehicles will appear on Munich’s streets “in the coming weeks,” the company said, initially driven manually while it builds high-definition maps of the local street network. Supervised autonomous testing with trained specialists behind the wheel follows. “This validation period will ensure the Waymo Driver adapts seamlessly to Munich’s distinct driving conditions before we aim to open commercial ride-hailing to the public towards the end of 2027,” the company wrote. Berlin Says the Law Is Already There The announcement carried a notably long statement from Christian Hirte, parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport, framing Waymo’s arrival as validation of German regulation. “We have already put in place the legal framework for this,” Hirte said. “Waymo, the world’s leading provider of commercial robotaxi services, has now recognised Germany’s potential as a location offering legal certainty.” He added that Waymo “is currently planning to start regular commercial operation of autonomous vehicles on the German market for the first time,” and that its interest “proves that regular autonomous mobility services can work here.” The same statement contained a caution. “We must now leverage the strengths of our economy and develop autonomous mobility solutions from within Europe,” Hirte said. “Our goal must be to ensure that we in Europe not only use these technologies but also develop and operate them here.” A federal official welcoming an American operator while arguing Europe should build and run its own is an unusual pairing to place in a company announcement. Bavaria Wants Speed Florian Herrmann, Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, tied the decision to the state’s industrial base and