Waymo is coming to Toronto. The self-driving taxi company said on October 16 that its white SUVs would start driving Toronto streets in the coming days. A trained person will sit behind the wheel for now. Waymo wants to give its first rides with no driver in 2028. I have covered cars for more than 10 years, and this is one of the biggest changes to hit Canadian roads in a long time. Here is what it means for you, whether you drive, bike or just want a ride home.

Key takeaways

  • Waymo announced on October 16, 2026, that Toronto will be its first city in Canada.
  • Its cars start with mapping and testing. A trained driver is in the seat at all times in this first step.
  • Waymo's goal is paid rides with no driver in 2028. It still needs more permits to do that.
  • Ontario approved Waymo for its Automated Vehicle Pilot Program.
  • The test cars are all-electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs.
  • Big open question: how the cars will handle a real Toronto winter.

What did Waymo announce?

Waymo is owned by Alphabet, the company behind Google. It runs a robotaxi service in 15 cities in the United States. You book a ride in an app, much like Uber or Lyft. The car shows up with no one in the driver's seat.

On October 16, Waymo said it is "officially heading to Canada." It will start with high-definition maps of Toronto streets. Then it will test the cars with trained staff behind the wheel.

Waymo is working with Element Fleet Management, a company based in Toronto. Element will take care of the cars. Waymo says the two firms will add "hundreds of roles over time." That includes fleet repair, test driving and customer service jobs.

When can I ride a Waymo in Toronto?

Not yet. Waymo says it is "working hard" to start its full service in Toronto in 2028. For now, it does not sell rides. You can sign up on Waymo's Canada page to get news when rides open. Once it starts, you will book in the Waymo app.

Waymo has not shared prices for Toronto.

Where will Waymo test in Toronto?

Waymo lists these areas on its Canada page. It says the list is not complete.

  • St. Lawrence Market and Harbourfront
  • Roncesvalles Village, Parkdale and Liberty Village
  • Don Mills, Leaside and East York
  • Yorkdale, Summerhill and Yonge and Eglinton
  • Weston, Mimico and Etobicoke

Waymo says testing can run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So you may see one on your street at any time.

Yes, but only under strict rules. Ontario started its Automated Vehicle Pilot Program in 2016. At first, a driver had to be in the seat. In 2019, the province changed the rules so some cars can test with no driver.

To test with no driver, a company must meet extra rules. Here are a few from the Ontario government:

  • It must accept full liability.
  • It must be able to watch and control the car from far away.
  • It must be able to bring the car to a safe stop.
  • It must give police and cities a plan for work zones and first responders.
  • The car must have signs that say it is a driverless test car.

All the normal rules of the road still apply. Ontario's form also says the car must have at least $5 million in liability insurance.

One more detail. Ontario says the pilot program runs until October 13, 2027. Waymo wants riders in 2028. So the province will need to extend the program or bring in new rules first. Waymo says it will work with regulators to get the permits it needs "through every phase."

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow told CBC News that safety is her biggest worry. She also said the rules come from the province, not the city.

Can a Waymo handle a Toronto winter?

Photo: 9yz, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The roof sensors on a Waymo Jaguar I-PACE.

This is the big one for Canadian drivers. Waymo cars "see" with cameras, radar and lidar. Lidar uses light to map what is around the car.

Snow can cover those sensors. Steven Waslander runs the University of Toronto Robotics Institute. He told CBC News that winter is "the big differentiator" for Toronto. He said Waymo has not shown it can run a winter service for paying riders yet.

Waymo says it has tested for years in snow and ice. That includes upstate New York and Michigan. It says its newest system can clean snow off its sensors. It already drives in Denver and Detroit, which both get snow. Waymo also says there are days when no driver, human or robot, should be out. On those days, it says it will change how it runs.

From my years behind the wheel, I can tell you this. The first slushy, salty week on Toronto streets will be the real test. Not a sunny day in Phoenix.

Is a robotaxi safer than a human driver?

Waymo says yes. It says its cars were in 95% fewer crashes with serious injury or worse than human drivers. That is based on more than 400 million kilometres in the U.S. cities where it runs. This is Waymo's own data, so keep that in mind.

Sidney Givigi teaches robotics at Queen's University. He told CBC News a robot driver "does not get tired" and does not take risks. But he still worries about ice and blizzards.

What does this mean if I drive in Toronto?

Not much changes today. Here is my simple advice.

  • Treat it like any other car. For now, a trained person is driving it.
  • Do not test it. Do not cut it off or brake hard to see what it does.
  • Give it room in bad weather. Leave the same space you would leave for any car on slick roads.
  • Cyclists and walkers: make eye contact with the person in the seat while one is there. Waymo says its cars are built to give cyclists and walkers lots of space.
  • Thinking of buying an EV? Our EV rebates and charging guide and our story on winter fuel and EV use can help.

What is next for Waymo cars?

Waymo is also testing the Hyundai IONIQ 5 as a future robotaxi. In July 2026, Waymo said it started driving IONIQ 5 cars on their own with a trained person on board. Waymo has not said which cars it will use for rides in Toronto in 2028. It says it will start in Toronto with "a limited number" of Jaguar I-PACE SUVs and grow over time.

Waymo is not the only one. CBC News reported that Gatik already runs 50 self-driving box trucks for Loblaw in the Toronto area.

FAQ

When will Waymo start in Toronto? Waymo said on October 16 that test cars with a driver would hit the road in the coming days. It hopes to offer rides with no driver in 2028.

Is there a driver in the Waymo cars I see in Toronto? Yes. In this first step, a trained person sits behind the wheel.

What car does Waymo use in Toronto? Waymo says it is starting with the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE.

Who is responsible if a driverless test car crashes in Ontario? For driverless testing, Ontario says the company must accept full liability.

Is Waymo coming to other Canadian cities? Waymo has only named Toronto so far.

How do I sign up? Waymo has a sign-up form on its Waymo in Canada page.

Sources

#Automated Vehicle Pilot Program#Electric vehicles#Hyundai IONIQ 5#Jaguar I-PACE#Ontario#robotaxi#self-driving cars#Toronto#Waymo#Winter driving