First self-driving taxis for hire on London’s streets as Uber launches first UK fleet of robotaxisEach car will still have a human safety driver, though it is not clear for how long
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Niva Yadav2 minutes ago
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The UK’s first fleet of Uber robotaxis have been launched in London.
The US taxi firm partnered with British AI tech firm Wayve to develop the autonomous vehicles.
Each vehicle will still have a human safety driver, though it is not clear at what point they will become fully autonomous.
A “small fleet” of all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles are now in operation, equipped with the Wayve AI driving technology.
A Wayve carLondon Assembly
Minicab licenses for the fleet were granted by Transport for London last month. For the cars to be entirely autonomous, the fleet needs regulatory approval from the DVLA under a separate government process.
This is considered to be unlikely to happen this year.
More than 140,000 Londoners are said to have already opted in to show their preference to use the self-driving vehicles through the ride-hailing service, according to Uber.
Thursday’s launch has meant Uber and Wayve have beaten the likes of Google-owned Waymo and China’s Baidu in operating robotaxis across the capital.
The vehicles will be hailed and unlocked through the app.
Sarfraz Maredia, global head of autonomous mobility at Uber, said: “We’re delighted to bring autonomous rides to Uber riders in London for the very first time, powered by Wayve, a homegrown British success story.
“London is a world-class hub for transportation innovation and this launch is a major milestone in scaling safe, accessible AV technology in a city with some of the world’s most complex roads.”
Alex Kendall, chief executive and co-founder of Wayve, said: “We’re proud to introduce the Wayve AI Driver to the public for the first time right here in London, our home city and one of the most complex driving environments in the world.
“Autonomous driving technology will complement the city’s rich transport network, and we’re excited for Londoners to experience it first as we begin our global rollout with Uber.”
Wayve was founded in 2017 by two University of Cambridge PhD students.
London will be the first city in the world to use its technology for commercial journeys.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “This is a major milestone for the future of transport in London, as British innovation brings this technology on to our roads and gives passengers more choice.
“As this technology develops, we want to support new opportunities for investment and skills, while recognising the important role that those working in the sector today will continue to play.”
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