Self-driving robotaxis are debuting in London, challenging the city’s iconic black cabs and sparking skepticism from drivers who worry about congestion and job security as autonomous taxis begin testing in the capital.
Wayve and Uber plan to launch a fully driverless robotaxi service in London, accelerated by the UK government's fast-tracking of autonomous vehicle pilots to 2026. The companies aim to start in London and expand, with safety and regulatory approval as key steps, leveraging Wayve's AI technology and Uber's extensive mobility network.
Uber will test Level Four autonomous vehicles in London with Wayve starting in 2026, aiming to expand its autonomous ride-hailing services amid increasing competition from Tesla and other AV developers, supported by the UK’s new framework for self-driving pilots.
Wayve, a UK-based AI firm, has secured a billion-dollar investment from Softbank, Microsoft, and Nvidia to develop its autonomous driving technology, which operates without high-definition maps or coded interventions. Unlike competitors like Waymo and Tesla, Wayve's system uses a purely AI approach, learning from unlabelled driving videos to drive in a human-like manner. The company plans to offer its technology to carmakers for advanced driver assistance systems, aiming for Level 3 autonomy initially, with future aspirations for full autonomy.