Uber Technologies and UK autonomous driving startup Wayve Technologies are set to roll out a robotaxi service in London, becoming one of the first companies to introduce the technology in the city ahead of similar launches planned by Waymo and Baidu.
The companies announced on Wednesday that Wayve’s autonomous vehicles have secured private hire vehicle licences in London, clearing the way for the service to begin with a safety supervisor on board.
Under the arrangement, every trip will include a trained operator seated inside the vehicle. The supervisor will keep their hands off the steering wheel unless intervention is required. Fully driverless operations will only be possible after additional regulatory approvals are obtained.
The companies said members of the public who registered their interest will be invited to test the service later this summer before it is expanded to more riders.
The launch is expected to intensify competition between Uber and Alphabet-owned Waymo as both companies pursue leadership in the global autonomous ride-hailing market.
Their growing rivalry comes ahead of the expiration of their exclusive partnership in the United States in 2028, with investors closely watching Uber’s strategy as it builds relationships with other autonomous vehicle developers.
Uber has already announced plans to introduce self-driving ride services in more than 10 cities worldwide before the end of the year through partnerships with companies including Wayve and Nuro, although the initial deployments are expected to be limited.
Meanwhile, Waymo is testing its own autonomous vehicles on London’s streets and plans to launch a fully driverless service later this year through its own application. Chinese technology company Baidu has also begun testing its Apollo Go robotaxis in the UK capital and aims to launch a public service in 2027 through the Freenow taxi platform.
The initial London service will operate using Wayve’s development fleet of electric Ford Mustang Mach-E SUVs equipped with cameras, radar sensors and the company’s self-driving technology.
