Grab to expand autonomous vehicle fleet from 10 to 50, eyes services beyond Punggol

SINGAPORE: Grab will expand its autonomous vehicle (AV) fleet from 10 to 50 vehicles over the next six months, as it looks to take its services beyond Punggol to other parts of Singapore, the company said on Monday (Sep 14).

Any expansion beyond Punggol would be subject to regulatory approval, Grab said, adding that it would work with the Ministry of Transport and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to widen AV service coverage within Punggol.

The company said its current AV fleet has travelled more than 110,000km autonomously on Singapore's roads and served more than 12,000 unique riders.

More than 1,000 people are on a waitlist for new AV experiences, Grab said, up from more than 500 in July.

LTA approved Grab and autonomous driving technology company WeRide for community rides on the AV shuttle service in Punggol in January, before public rides began in April.

Grab is now preparing to launch an on-demand, point-to-point service across selected locations in Punggol, with more service points to be rolled out in the coming months.

Unlike the existing shuttle service, which operates on fixed routes, the on-demand service will allow riders to travel directly between selected pick-up and drop-off points.

A Grab spokesperson told CNA that the service would open to trial riders in the next few months and be gradually made available to the general public in the fourth quarter of 2026, when commercial fares will apply.

The existing AV shuttle service will remain free while Grab trials and enhances the new on-demand service, the spokesperson said.

Grab and LTA will assess commuter response and the shuttle service's operational performance before deciding whether to make any adjustments to its service structure, the spokesperson added.

Grab said it is also investing in dedicated AV infrastructure and working with government agencies on a depot in Punggol.

HUNDREDS OF NEW AV ROLES

"As a homegrown company deeply rooted in this region, we will introduce AVs in a way that complements our driver network, while also unlocking new career pathways for our local workforce," said Grab president and chief operating officer Alex Hungate.

Grab said it is developing local talent for the AV industry in areas such as design, engineering and operations.

It is also exploring opportunities to establish Singapore as its regional "centre of excellence" for AV localisation and deployment.

Grab said hundreds of new AV roles would be created for the local workforce.

GrabAcademy, the company's training arm, and WeRide have developed training pathways for people interested in AV roles. To date, they have certified 30 safety operators, six of whom have been certified as remote operators.

Grab said it eventually plans for its platform to handle trips using both autonomous vehicles and human-driven vehicles, with the aim of improving dispatch efficiency and reducing waiting times.

The company has previously said it aims to deploy thousands of AVs across Southeast Asia by 2030.