The ride-sharing giant has begun accepting registrations from interested passengers who want to experience London’s inaugural self-driving taxi service, which uses artificial intelligence developed by British startup Wayve. The company anticipates launching the service within months once regulators provide approval.
Self-driving technology represents a key strategic focus for the ride-hailing platform, which has formed partnerships with over 30 companies globally for autonomous freight, delivery and transportation services. The company reports that millions of driverless trips have already been completed through these partnerships.
The London program will collaborate with Wayve to offer services operating under the standard UberX, Uber Electric and Uber Comfort categories, with the key difference being artificial intelligence controlling the vehicle instead of a human driver.
“This is the first time the general public will be able to hail an autonomous vehicle in the UK,” Wayve’s VP of commercial and operations Kaity Fischer said in an interview.
Fischer explained that while a trained operator will remain in the driver’s seat to monitor the system, passengers should expect the journey from pickup to destination to occur without human intervention. The companies indicated that completely driverless operations are planned for the future.
The ride-hailing service announced that passengers can join a waitlist before the official launch.
“Together, with Wayve, we’re bringing a new way to ride in London while helping establish the UK as a global hub for autonomous innovation,” said Annie Duvnjak, Uber’s Global Head of Autonomous Mobility Operations.
Duvnjak noted that customers paired with a Wayve autonomous ride can choose to accept the service or request a traditional vehicle instead, emphasizing that the self-driving option will not carry extra charges.
The Ford Mustang Mach-e cars, displaying Uber x Wayve branding, feature surrounding cameras and radar systems that collect information processed within the vehicle. Fischer mentioned the technology has undergone testing on London streets since 2018.
During a test ride conducted by Reuters, the vehicle successfully navigated challenging London traffic conditions including buses merging in and out of lanes, cyclists weaving between cars, and pedestrians entering crosswalks.
