Element to run Waymo's Toronto fleet as robotaxi service heads to Canada
Element Fleet Management will manage onsite operations for Waymo's planned Toronto fleet, the next step in a partnership that began in San Diego. According to the companies, the Toronto launch is expected in 2028 and will be Waymo's first operation in Canada.
- Element Fleet Management will manage onsite operations for Waymo's Toronto fleet.
- Toronto is expected in 2028 and will be Waymo's first operation in Canada.
- The deal builds on a partnership announced in June, when Element began supporting Waymo in San Diego.
- Waymo says it will invest in hundreds of roles over time, including maintenance, validation driving and customer service.
From San Diego to Toronto
Element Fleet Management Corp. (TSX: EFN), which describes itself as a global leader in intelligent fleet and mobility solutions, announced the next phase of its strategic partnership with Waymo on Oct. 16, 2026. The agreement builds on a multi-year partnership announced in June, when Element began supporting Waymo's autonomous mobility operations in San Diego.
The Toronto expansion is expected in 2028. Element says it reinforces the company's growing role in supporting and scaling autonomous mobility operations across markets.
What Element will do
Through Element Mobility, its intelligent mobility division, Element will manage onsite operations for Waymo's Toronto fleet. According to the company, it will coordinate the people, facilities, infrastructure and vehicle operations needed to keep the fleet ready, available and operating efficiently.
The listed capabilities are:
- fleet lifecycle management
- vehicle readiness and maintenance
- charging infrastructure
- energy management
- connected intelligence
Element says it will help ensure vehicles are charged, maintained, cleaned, serviced and ready for deployment, while also supporting the broader operations required to run the fleet. The company describes this integrated model as designed to maximize vehicle availability and utilization, reduce operational downtime, and provide a scalable foundation as Waymo expands.
What the companies said
Element CEO Laura Dottori-Attanasio said the partnership "demonstrates how Element is evolving to support the next generation of mobility." Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana called the move into Canada "an important milestone in Waymo's global journey" and described Toronto as "one of the world's great cities."
Nicole Gavel, Waymo's Senior Director, Head of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, said Waymo is preparing for autonomous ride-hailing in Element's hometown of Toronto. She said that together with Element and other partners, Waymo will "invest in hundreds of roles over time spanning fleet maintenance, validation driving, customer service, and other operations functions."
Background on both companies
Element says it manages over 1.5 million vehicles globally and that it identified over $1.7 billion in cost savings opportunities across its clients' fleets in the past year.
Waymo, which started in 2009 as the Google Self-Driving Car Project, says its ride-hailing service has delivered tens of millions of fully autonomous trips and now serves riders in more than 15 U.S. cities, with international expansion underway.
What it means
The announcement shows how robotaxi expansion depends on physical operations as well as driving software. Charging, cleaning, maintenance and facilities all have to be in place before a fleet can serve riders. By working with a fleet manager in Toronto, Waymo is relying on a partner for that layer, as it did in San Diego. For Toronto, the companies point to hundreds of roles over time, though the service itself is still some years away.
