- Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) has granted WeRide and Grab approval for the entire Ai.R fleet to conduct autonomous vehicle (AV) testing within the Punggol district
- WeRide and Grab commenced the first AV testing in Punggol in mid-October 2025. With this approval, the two companies will be stepping up their AV testing programme there, and now plan to increase the total number of AV test runs on its shuttle service routes in Punggol by up to four times by the end of the year
- Concurrently, the first cohort of Ai.R Safety Operator trainees have progressed to on-the-road training, marking another step in building up local talent for AV operations
SINGAPORE, Nov. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD, HKEX: 0800.HK), a global leader in autonomous driving technology, and Grab (NASDAQ: GRAB), Southeast Asia's leading superapp, announced that Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) has granted them approval to conduct autonomous vehicle (AV) testing with the entire Ai.R (Autonomously Intelligent Ride) fleet within the Punggol district.
The partners commenced Punggol's first AV testing in mid-October 2025. With this approval, WeRide and Grab will be stepping up their AV testing programme there, and now plan to increase the total number of AV test runs on its shuttle service routes in Punggol by up to four times by the end of the year.
Ai.R, which is operated by Grab in partnership with WeRide, is a public autonomous ride service. The Ai.R fleet comprises 11 AVs – 10 GXRs (five passenger seats) and one Robobus (eight passenger seats). The AV test runs are critical to preparations for the launch of Ai.R, which will serve two dedicated shuttle service routes in Punggol, establishing the district as Singapore's first residential neighbourhood with an autonomous shuttle service. Ai.R is expected to take its first batch of public passengers by early 2026.
One of the Ai.R AVs – a WeRide GXR – in Punggol. During the test run, the AV studies its route and operating environment, including the road infrastructure, traffic flows, as well as road user and pedestrian behaviours
Throughout the AV testing and initial phase of public rides, Safety Operators will be onboard the AVs at all times, providing real-time supervision.
The autonomous shuttle service in Punggol will connect residents to key amenities like Punggol Coast MRT station, Punggol Coast Mall bus interchange, malls, and clinics.
Rigorous real-world testing to ensure reliability
During the AV test runs, the AVs gather and analyze real-world data to localize their AI driving models. This includes details on road infrastructure, traffic flows, and the nuanced behaviours of local road users and pedestrians. The AVs are also trained to handle a variety of weather conditions – such as sudden rain and intense sun glare – to ensure reliable operations.
In addition, the AVs continuously calibrated their driving performance. For example:
- Refine Precision Driving Capabilities: The AVs rehearse their operating routes to hone driving capabilities, including executing precise turn timing, smooth acceleration and deceleration, and maintaining optimal distance from all obstacles.
- Master Urban Scenarios: The AVs are trained to safely navigate common and complex urban scenarios, such as tight turns on narrow residential roads and in carparks, while maintaining safety clearance from walls, pedestrians, and other vehicles.
- Execute Seamless Pick-ups & Drop-offs: Adjustments are also made to deliver gradual slowdowns and accurate stops at designated points, ensuring passengers can board and alight the shuttle effortlessly.
Equipped with a sensor suite consisting of LiDARs and cameras, the GXRs and Robobus have 360-degree vision, can “see” up to 200 metres in every direction, and can detect objects even in the rain. This helps the AVs to respond promptly and dynamically to hazards.
First cohort of Safety Operator trainees progress to on-road training
To support the roll-out of the Ai.R service, GrabAcademy (Grab's training institution) and WeRide are training an initial cohort of more than 10 experienced Grab driver-partners for Safety Operator roles. Following theory lessons and closed-circuit practical training, the first cohort of Ai.R Safety Operator trainees have progressed to on-the-road training.
Mr Azman Bin Rahmad, an Ai.R Safety Operator trainee said, "I'm excited to be among the first to train as an AV Safety Operator. I've seen firsthand how these vehicles operate and how our feedback directly enhances their performance. I look forward to learning more about this advanced technology, and working with it to support Singapore's transport needs."
Media contacts
- WeRide: pr@weride.ai
- Grab: pr.sg@grab.com; grabsg@infom.asia
About WeRide
WeRide is a global leader and a first mover in the autonomous driving industry, as well as the first publicly traded Robotaxi company. Our autonomous vehicles have been tested or operated in over 30 cities across 11 countries. We are also the first and only technology company whose products have received autonomous driving permits in seven markets: China, the UAE, Singapore, France, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and the US. Empowered by the smart, versatile, cost-effective, and highly adaptable WeRide One platform, WeRide provides autonomous driving products and services from L2 to L4, addressing transportation needs in the mobility, logistics, and sanitation industries. WeRide was named to Fortune's 2025 Change the World and 2025 Future 50 lists.
About Grab
Grab is a leading superapp in Southeast Asia, operating across the deliveries, mobility and digital financial services sectors. Serving over 800 cities in eight Southeast Asian countries – Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – Grab enables millions of people everyday to order food or groceries, send packages, hail a ride or taxi, pay for online purchases or access services such as lending and insurance, all through a single app. We operate supermarkets in Malaysia under Jaya Grocer and Everrise, which enables us to bring the convenience of on-demand grocery delivery to more consumers in the country. As part of our financial services offerings, we also provide digital banking services through GXS Bank in Singapore and GXBank in Malaysia. Grab was founded in 2012 with the mission to drive Southeast Asia forward by creating economic empowerment for everyone. Grab strives to serve a triple bottom line – we aim to simultaneously deliver financial performance for our shareholders and have a positive social impact, which includes economic empowerment for millions of people in the region, while mitigating our environmental footprint.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to,” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about WeRide and Grab's beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in WeRide and Grab's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this Report is as of the date of this Report. WeRide and Grab do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/240599b9-5bb2-4b25-b308-618f57719586