Singapore is rapidly embracing the concept of self-driving vehicles on its thoroughfares. Last October, the city-state's Land Transport Authority (LTA) gave the green light for tests conducted by Superapp Grab and Chinese robotaxi firm WeRide within Punggol, a locale situated in the nation's northern region.
TL;DR
- Singapore is testing self-driving vehicles from Grab, WeRide, and ComfortDelGro on public roads.
- ComfortDelGro plans public rides via its Zig app by next year, starting with five AVs.
- Grab anticipates initial rider transport with its self-driving vehicles by early 2026.
- Singapore aims for extensive AV deployment within five years, starting in residential areas.
ComfortDelGro (CDG), a prominent transit provider in the area, is the subsequent firm authorized to test self-driving vehicles within the city's thoroughfares.
Five autonomous vehicles, each accommodating five passengers, will initiate the testing phase. CDG intends to offer public access to these rides by the subsequent year, via a self-driving car selection on Zig, its transportation request application.
CDG's initial fleet of AVs had successfully navigated Milestone 1 trials, a vital certification phase for AVs in Singapore that permits their transition from restricted settings to public thoroughfares, according to a company press release issued on December 11th.
“This achievement meets the stringent standards for autonomous vehicle systems, enabling us to responsibly introduce intelligent transport systems in Singapore,” said Cheng Siak Kian, CDG’s CEO.
During public AV trials, vehicles can collect and examine practical information to refine their AI driving systems. This encompasses specifics regarding road construction, traffic patterns, how local drivers and walkers act, and prevailing weather.
Singapore’s investments in AVs
ComfortDelGro is primarily recognized for its operation of a segment of Singapore's underground transit network, alongside its bus and taxi services. The company is also pursuing global growth, establishing operations in Australia, Europe, and mainland China.
But perhaps its most ambitious venture is its new partnerships with robotaxi firms.
In March, CDG initiated a sandbox program in Guangzhou, partnering with Chinese robotaxi provider Pony AI, to commence the development of capabilities for managing an autonomous vehicle fleet. Subsequently, last month, the company inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Alibaba-backed Hello Robotaxi, to jointly work on extensive commercial robotaxi deployment within China and other international markets.
At that moment, CDG's Chief Executive Officer Cheng referred to the Hello Robotaxi collaboration as “a significant step in developing our autonomous vehicle capabilities and securing our long-term position in the future of point-to-point mobility.”
“By creating an integrated intelligent shared mobility network—blending our taxi business with robotaxi services—we are building a robust, replicable, and forward-looking hybrid operating model that can be scaled across our global network,” he added.
Grab, which manages Southeast Asia's most extensive ride-hailing service, is also putting funds into autonomous vehicles. The firm anticipates beginning to transport the initial group of riders using its self-driving vehicles—which presently consist of ten cars designed for five occupants and a single robobus—by the start of 2026. Grab has additionally made key financial commitments in WeRide and the American company May Mobility, which is also a developer of robotaxi services.
Singapore's administration is also keen on progressing toward deploying autonomous vehicles on its roadways. In July, the nation established a 17-member committee to accelerate the deployment of AVs.
The committee comprises individuals from business, educational institutions, labor organizations, and public service, with Singapore's interim transport minister, Jeffrey Siow, presiding over it. Siow has characterized autonomous vehicles as a “game changer” for Singapore's transit infrastructure.
Singapore's state investment firm, Temasek Holdings, also acquired approximately 1.4 million shares of WeRide and 14,500 shares of Pony AI in the third quarter of this year. Its 13F submissions from November indicated these holdings amounted to a total of $13.7 million. Additionally, Temasek has put funds into other autonomous vehicle enterprises, such as the Swedish transportation company Einride and Israeli AI mobility firm Autobrains.
During a media discussion in June, Siow stated that Singaporeans can expect to see many AVs on its roads in the next five years, while also noting that their implementation would proceed incrementally. The nation intends to permit operators to commence AV operations on set paths within residential communities, subsequently extending services to tourist destinations.
“I envision that AVs will be deployed fairly extensively within the next five years, and they will be… a very useful addition to the public transport network,” Siow told Singaporean broadcaster CNA, adding that the vehicles will help to ease the manpower strain in the country’s transport sector.
