Grab and WeRide unveil autonomous vehicle service in SG

By appointment of the LTA and in partnership with WeRide, Grab has announced plans to launch its first autonomous vehicle (AV) service for consumers on two designated routes in Punggol.

The service, called Ai.R, is short for Autonomously Intelligent Ride and is Singapore's first autonomous shuttle service in a residential neighbourhood. Ai.R will serve residents in Punggol along two designated routes and will start with a fleet of 11 vehicles.

The current Ai.R fleet comprises two vehicle models, including a five-seater (based on the Farizon SuperVan) and the eight-seater Robobus (All images taken from Grab)

The Ai.R fleet will feature two WeRide vehicle models: The five-seater GXR (based on the Farizon SuperVan) and eight-seater Robobus. Both have passed Singapore's stringent Milestone 1 assessment, making them the first AVs designated for Punggol to attain this certification. The M1 assessment verifies the vehicles' ability to operate safely on public roads in autonomous mode in accordance with Singapore’s traffic rules.

There will also be a trained Grab Safety Operator onboard every Ai.R ride in the initial phase, ready to take over if needed.

Starting in September 2025, Ai.R vehicles will begin an extensive "route familiarisation" phase in Punggol with an onboard safety operator. The vehicles will study the routes in detail, such as traffic lights, zebra crossings, speed limits and more. This will enable the vehicles to smoothly navigate to the pick-up and drop-off points, as well as recognise and adapt to future road changes autonomously.

By early 2026, Ai.R is expected to start taking its first batch of passengers, improving access to key amenities including supermarkets, food courts, clinics, business parks, schools, and major transport nodes such as bus interchanges.

As the AV industry develops, new roles in technology and operations are expected to emerge. Grab's in-house training institution, GrabAcademy, will seek to develop specialised programmes to support interested driver-partners in transitioning into AV foundational roles, such as remote operators, fleet managers, and customer support officers.