Grab to expand autonomous vehicle fleet fivefold in Singapore, eyes rollout beyond Punggol

Ride-hailing operator Grab on Monday (Sept 14) announced that it will be expanding its autonomous vehicle (AV) fleet from 10 to 50 vehicles.

Following months of testing, Grab began its free-of-charge autonomous vehicle (AV) public rides service on April 1, at two of three planned routes in Punggol.

Then, on July 29, it announced that enhancements would be made to the driverless shuttle rides before revenue service begins, including the trail of an on-demand shuttle service that allows users to book a direct shuttle between any existing pick-up and drop-off points.

There are also plans to add more pick-up and drop-off points in Punggol this year.

In its Monday statement, Grab said it is working with the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) to broaden its AV service coverage within Punggol.

It added that the expanded fleet will also allow it to expand beyond Punggol to other locations in Singapore, subject to regulatory approvals.

The operator said it hopes these efforts will enhance connectivity for everyday commuters.

Giving an update on its AV shuttle service in Punggol, Grab said that its fleet has accumulated over 110,000 kilometres of autonomous mileage on the roads. 

It has since served over 12,000 unique users, with another 1,000 users on the waitlist, according to the operator.

Grab's president and chief operating officer Alex Hungate said in a statement that the company will continue to evolve and build on its service by responding to direct feedback from the community and drawing on data and technology from its ride-hailing business.

He also reiterated Grab's assurances that AVs will be introduced in a way that complements its existing driver network, while also unlocking new career pathways for its driver partners.

The NASDAQ-listed company has plans to eventually deploy thousands of AVs across Southeast Asia by 2030.

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editor@asiaone.com