Waymo has a testing permit from the DGT for 16 vehicles in Madrid, valid until October 2028. It does not yet offer commercial rides.
According to NeoTeo, Waymo has been granted a testing authorization that includes 16 vehicles in Madrid. The permit, identified as FVA-03/2026, is valid from October 19, 2026 to October 18, 2028, according to the records of the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) as reported by the outlet.
The total of 16 refers to authorized vehicles, not to cars that can operate simultaneously. The authorization pertains to testing and not to commercial rides, and encompasses level 4 vehicles.
Waymo identifies Madrid, Alcobendas, and Getafe as initial municipalities to test its electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles on public roads. The company plans to progress in stages: first manual driving, then validation with trained local drivers at the wheel, and later, fully autonomous operations.
The DGT anticipates three phases of testing with different limits. In the controlled phase, the maximum is three vehicles with a safety operator on board. In the extensive phase, the limit increases to ten vehicles, also with an operator on board, and other passengers are allowed. In the pre-deployment phase, there is no fleet limit and supervision is remote.
The record does not indicate which phase Waymo is in, so it is unclear how many of its cars can operate at the same time. For now, the company does not offer rides to individuals in Madrid. According to Reuters, Waymo aims to launch autonomous transport service in the capital in 2027, although this is a target and not a confirmed date.
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