Uber and Wayve to Launch UK's First Robotaxi Service in London by 2026

Wayve and Uber plan London robotaxi launch after UK speeds up autonomous vehicle rollout | TechCrunch

U.K.-based autonomous vehicle technology company Wayve and Uber plan to launch a fully driverless robotaxi service in London in the coming years. The news comes soon after the U.K.'s announcement of an accelerated framework for self-driving commercial pilots. U.K. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed Tuesday that the U.K. government would fast-track pilots to spring 2026, up from late 2027, to incentivize investment in autonomy in the country. Wayve and Uber did not share many details of their upcoming launch, such as when exactly the companies would begin trials and service, with how many vehicles, or via which vehicle manufacturer partner or partners. Wayve said in April that its tech would be headed to Nissan vehicles. The announcement follows Uber's strategic investment into Wayve in 2024 that promised to see the startup's AI integrated into consumer vehicles that will one day operate on Uber's platform. A Wayve spokesperson told TechCrunch the companies would start in the U.K. capital and scale out to greater London and beyond from there. First, every company involved in launching a robotaxi service would need to prove relevant safety cases to regulators. "We have a partner ecosystem for bringing a service to market," Sarah Gates, Wayve's director of public policy, told TechCrunch. "Wayve provides driving intelligence integrated into a base vehicle provided by a vehicle manufacturer, and then we would have a fleet operator, and Uber would operate the service. So each part of that supply chain would need to prove safety and responsible deployment for what they're responsible for." In Wayve's case, the company needs to prove the safety of the system and how it drives within its operational design domain. Uber would have separate commitments around operating a passenger service responsibly and having things like customer service in place. "This is a defining moment for U.K. autonomy," Alex Kendall, Wayve's CEO and co-founder, said in a statement. "With Uber and our global OEM partner, we're preparing to put our AI Driver technology into real service on the streets of London, delivering on our AV2.0 vision for scalable autonomy. Our Embodied AI learns to drive anywhere, in any vehicle, and this trial brings us closer to bringing safe and intelligent driving to everyday rides across the UK and beyond." Wayve recently published a blog detailing the initial findings from its "AI-500 Roadshow," a project to visit 500 cities using a single AI model by the end of 2025. So far, the startup has hit 90 cities in 90 days, spanning Asia, Europe, and North America. The demonstration is designed to prove that Wayve's technology can operate anywhere it's placed, rather than relying first on mapping a region. That's relevant data to a company like Uber, which operates globally and has been doing deals with almost every AV company to scale its autonomous capabilities fast. "Uber has got one of the largest mobility networks globally, so the fact that our AI can serve as their global network is a big reason why this partnership and this [driverless] trialing is so important," Tilly Pielichaty, a Wayve spokesperson, told TechCrunch. "We are starting in the U.K., but the ambition is to take it everywhere."

The UK will get its first robotaxis next year

Robotaxis are coming to the UK next year thanks to a partnership between Uber and Wayve, a British company focused on AI for autonomous vehicles. A pilot program is set to take place in Spring 2026 and follows last year's passage of the Automated Vehicles Act, which set the stage for self-driving cars to be deployed across the country. "This is a defining moment for UK autonomy," said Alex Kendall, CEO and co-founder of Wayve, in a statement. "Our Embodied AI learns to drive anywhere, in any vehicle, and this trial brings us closer to bringing safe and intelligent driving to everyday rides across the UK and beyond." According to Heidi Alexander, the UK's secretary of state for transport, the agreement will add £42 billion ($56.7 billion) for the economy and create 38,000 jobs. Alexander doesn't state how exactly the latter will occur as a result of driverless taxis.

Uber taps AI firm Wayve to pilot fully driverless rides in the UK

A delivery van outfitted with Wayve's autonomous driving software is part of the fleet of vehicles making grocery deliveries across London. Uber on Tuesday announced it's partnered with self-driving car technology firm Wayve to launch trials of fully autonomous rides in the U.K. The ride-hailing app said the pilot would be the first of its kind for the company, as it allow users to take Uber rides without a safety driver present -- a standard of autonomous driving described by the industry as "Level 4." Self-driving vehicles have become a common sight in San Francisco, where Google's autonomous driving venture Waymo offers a commercial ride-hailing service with its driverless cars. However, other global players are racing to roll out so-called "robotaxi" services of their own. Andrew MacDonald, president and chief operating officer of Uber, said the partnership with Wayve would move the company a step closer toward its vision "to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere." "This is a defining moment for UK autonomy," Wayve CEO and co-founder Alex Kendall said in a statement. "With Uber and a global OEM partner, we're preparing to put our AI Driver technology into real service on the streets of London." Uber said it was able to launch the pilot in the U.K. thanks to an "accelerated framework" for self-driving commercial pilots that's being introduced by the U.K.'s Department of Transport. Uber and Wayve said they would work closely with the government and Transport for London -- which is the main authority overseeing transport in the U.K. capital -- on regulatory approvals and permissions prior to launching the trials. Backed by SoftBank, Wayve is a London-based startup that develops software to enable self-driving vehicles. Its platform uses artificial intelligence to allow cars to assess their surroundings and it's designed to be applicable in any environment. Last year, the U.K. passed its Autonomous Vehicles Act into law, which the government at the time said would pave the way for self-driving vehicles to arrive on British roads by 2026.

Uber sets its eyes on Spring 2025 for first-ever robotaxi service in UK

Why it matters: Robotaxis have been in testing across the US for years, but they have yet to go mainstream. Efforts by various companies have stalled due to accidents, legal hurdles, and widespread public skepticism. Now, one US firm is partnering with a UK technology provider to push ahead with international trials. Wayve has announced a partnership with Uber to bring autonomous ridesharing to the UK. The pilot follows the passage of Britain's Automated Vehicles Act (AVA), which legalizes the commercial use of self-driving cars. Initially set for 2027, the law has been fast-tracked to spring 2026, prompting both companies to accelerate deployment plans. Wayve CEO Alex Kendall called it a "defining moment." "This is a defining moment for UK autonomy. With Uber and a global OEM partner, we're preparing to put our AI Driver technology into real service on the streets of London, delivering on our AV2.0 vision for scalable autonomy," Kendall said. The press release offered few details about the pilot, but a Wayve spokesperson told TechCrunch it would begin in central London and gradually expand to greater London and beyond. Of course, these plans depend on securing regulatory approval by proving the rides are safe. Wayve claims to have one of the safest autonomous systems in use today. Its lidar-free AV2.0 technology can reportedly control any car on any road without prior mapping. To prove it, the company launched its "AI-500 Roadshow" earlier this year, aiming to demo the tech in 500 cities by the end of 2025. Although it has only reached 90 cities in as many days - a pace putting it way behind schedule - Wayve says it has already completed successful tests in Asia, Europe, and North America, all without mapping (above). TechCrunch notes that Uber invested an undisclosed amount in Wayve last year, aiming to pair its dominant ridesharing network with Wayve's autonomous driving technology. Details about the test fleet - its size or vehicle models - remain unclear, though Wayve has previously expressed interest in partnering with Nissan. Uber is optimistic that the partnership could open the door to similar prospects beyond the UK. "We're excited to take the next step in our journey with Wayve, bringing autonomous mobility to one of the world's busiest and most complex urban environments," said Uber President and COO Andrew Macdonald. "Our vision is to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere, and this trial in London brings that future closer to reality." The British government is equally optimistic about the program's potential. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander praised the fast-tracking of the AVA and estimated that the testing phase alone could create 38,000 jobs and add £42 billion to the UK economy. Of course, launching a pilot program is only the first step. As Britain's first potential robotaxi service, Uber and Wayve will face a lot of the same hardships that US providers have dealt with - primarily safety and trust concerns.

Uber to bring self-driving cars on to Britain's streets next year

Uber is preparing to test fully self-driving taxis on London's roads for the first time. The US ride-hailing company confirmed on Tuesday it had signed a deal with Wayve, an autonomous driving and artificial intelligence start-up founded in Cambridge, to pilot its technology on UK roads from next spring. The trials come after Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, brought forward rules that will allow advanced driverless taxi and bus services to operate on British streets from 2026. Self-driving cars have been promised by successive governments, although until now, they have operated under strict safety conditions with a driver behind the wheel at all times when operating in public. The Uber trials will allow cars to be piloted without a human safety driver behind the wheel. Members of the public could book driverless cabs using their smartphone under the fast-track tests. A wider rollout is planned for the second half of 2027. Autonomous taxis from companies such as Google's Waymo have already launched on US streets in California. Elon Musk's Tesla, meanwhile, is preparing to bring a driverless taxi service to Austin, Texas, later this month. However, self-driving cars in the US have faced a frosty reception from motorists and pedestrians and have been blamed for a series of accidents. Cars have also been repeatedly vandalised, with protesters torching several Waymo vehicles in this week's riots in Los Angeles.

Uber to launch driverless taxis in London next year

Ride-hailing firm Uber will launch self-driving taxis in London next year when England trials new driverless services, the firm and the UK government said on Tuesday. Under the Uber pilot scheme, services will initially have a human in the driver's seat who can take control of the vehicle in an emergency, but the trials will eventually transition to being fully driverless. The government announcement will see companies including Uber allowed to trial commercial driverless services without a human presence for the first time in the UK. They will include taxis and "bus-like" services. Uber CEO Andrew Macdonald described London's roads as "one of the world's busiest and most complex urban environments". "Our vision is to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere, and this trial in London brings that future closer to reality," he said. Members of the public will be able to book the transport via an app from spring 2026, ahead of a potential wider rollout when new legislation -- the Automated Vehicles Act -- becomes law from the second half of 2027, the Department for Transport added. The technology could create 38,000 jobs, add £42 billion ($57 billion) to the UK economy by 2025, and make roads safer, it said. "The future of transport is arriving. Self-driving cars could bring jobs, investment, and the opportunity for the UK to be among the world-leaders in new technology," Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said. "We can't afford to take a back seat on AI.... That's why we're bringing timelines forward today," added Technology Secretary Peter Kyle. The wider rollout will also allow the sale and use of self-driving, private cars. Driverless vehicle trials have been underway in the UK since January 2015, with British companies Wayve and Oxa "spearheading significant breakthroughs in the technology", the ministry said. "These early pilots will help build public trust and unlock new jobs, services, and markets," said Wayve CEO Alex Kendall. According to the government the forthcoming legislation will require self-driving vehicles to "achieve a level of safety at least as high as competent and careful human drivers". "By having faster reaction times than humans, and by being trained on large numbers of driving scenarios, including learning from real-world incidents, self-driving vehicles can help reduce deaths and injuries," it said. Driverless taxis with limited capacity are already on the roads in the United States and China, most notably in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where a fleet of over 500 can be hailed by app in designated areas.

Uber to launch driverless taxis in London next year

London (AFP) - Ride-hailing firm Uber will launch self-driving taxis in London next year when England trials new driverless services, the firm and the UK government said on Tuesday. Under the Uber pilot scheme, services will initially have a human in the driver's seat who can take control of the vehicle in an emergency, but the trials will eventually transition to being fully driverless. The government announcement will see companies including Uber allowed to trial commercial driverless services without a human presence for the first time in the UK. They will include taxis and "bus-like" services. Uber CEO Andrew Macdonald described London's roads as "one of the world's busiest and most complex urban environments". "Our vision is to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere, and this trial in London brings that future closer to reality," he said. Members of the public will be able to book the transport via an app from spring 2026, ahead of a potential wider rollout when new legislation -- the Automated Vehicles Act -- becomes law from the second half of 2027, the Department for Transport added. The technology could create 38,000 jobs, add £42 billion ($57 billion) to the UK economy by 2025, and make roads safer, it said. "The future of transport is arriving. Self-driving cars could bring jobs, investment, and the opportunity for the UK to be among the world-leaders in new technology," Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said. "We can't afford to take a back seat on AI.... That's why we're bringing timelines forward today," added Technology Secretary Peter Kyle. The wider rollout will also allow the sale and use of self-driving, private cars. Driverless vehicle trials have been underway in the UK since January 2015, with British companies Wayve and Oxa "spearheading significant breakthroughs in the technology", the ministry said. "These early pilots will help build public trust and unlock new jobs, services, and markets," said Wayve CEO Alex Kendall. According to the government the forthcoming legislation will require self-driving vehicles to "achieve a level of safety at least as high as competent and careful human drivers". "By having faster reaction times than humans, and by being trained on large numbers of driving scenarios, including learning from real-world incidents, self-driving vehicles can help reduce deaths and injuries," it said. Driverless taxis with limited capacity are already on the roads in the United States and China, most notably in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where a fleet of over 500 can be hailed by app in designated areas.

Uber enlists Wayve to test fully driverless vehicles in London

The pilot is set to launch in spring 2026, although experts warn against expecting a general roll out 'any time soon'. UK's AI driving start-up Wayve is joining forces with Uber to launch a public road trial for fully autonomous vehicles in London. The trials are expected to begin in spring 2026. The pilot will combine Wayve's AI platform with Uber's network of vehicles, making the UK Uber's largest market to launch a self-driving pilot programme. The two companies are working to get approval from the UK government and Transport for London before launching. This partnership follows from a collaboration the two announced last year, which saw the development of driver assisted and advanced automated driving capabilities. This next phase takes that a step further. Last year, Uber also made a strategic investment into Wayve, following a Series C round into the UK company led by SoftBank that raised more than $1bn. The fresh announcement comes as, across the pond, Waymo's cars were lit on fire in Los Angles earlier this week, amid mass protests against the US' federal immigration raids. The Alphabet-owned Waymo has stopped its service in the area. Self-driving vehicles are more commonplace in the US, where much of the testing and deployment of autonomous cars has been done before. London - and European roads in general - represent a much different layout and a new set of traffic laws. The partners say that the London pilot will be a "major step forward" in bringing self-driving vehicles to other parts of the world. Wayve's AI-led autonomous vehicle approach, known as AV2.0 "learns from experience like a human driver," the company said, enabling it to adapt to new roads and layouts with "unprecedented efficiency". The company recently conducted a roadshow where an "AI driver" drove across cities in Europe, North America and Japan, covering 90 cities in 90 days. "This is a defining moment for UK autonomy" said Alex Kendall, the CEO and co-founder of Wayve. "We drove through Tokyo, Milan, and Montana - all with the same AI model. That's the power of AV2.0. It's what gives us the confidence to launch a driverless ride-hailing service with Uber, starting in London and expanding to other cities around the world," he added. The safety-first tests will drive growth, create 38,000 jobs in the country, while adding £42bn to the economy, said the UK's Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander. Although, Forrester VP principal analyst Paul Miller believes that UK's regulations around liability for autonomous vehicles need to be tightened. "The law needs to provide unambiguous answers to questions around liability, because accidents are unfortunately inevitable," he said. "If a human-operated taxi is involved in an accident, we know how to assign responsibility and liability. If there's no driver, it may be more complicated." Miller adds that autonomous mobility companies also need their own regulatory framework to test in real-world conditions. "Just don't expect to hail a self-driving Uber (or Waymo, or anything else) for any journey along any UK road, in any weather conditions, any time soon. "Real services for paying customers will appear more slowly than that and will probably be limited to specific geographic areas, reasonably good weather and perhaps even specific times of day." Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Wayve, Uber Begin Level 4 Autonomy Trials in the UK | AIM

UK becomes the largest market for Uber's public-road autonomous vehicle testing. Autonomous car driving technology firm Wayve and Uber have announced the launch of public-road trials for fully autonomous Level 4 (L4) vehicles in London, marking the first such initiative in the UK. This development positions the UK as Uber's largest market for piloting autonomous vehicles to date. The announcement follows a new framework from the UK secretary of state for transport, which accelerates permissions for commercial self-driving pilots. Wayve and Uber will work with the UK government and Transport for London to secure regulatory approvals before deployment. "This is a defining moment for UK autonomy," said Alex Kendall, CEO and co-founder of Wayve. "With Uber and a global OEM partner, we're preparing to put our AI Driver technology into real service on the streets of London." The partnership will combine Wayve's Embodied AI platform with Uber's ride-hailing network. Wayve's AV2.0 technology, which does not rely on HD maps or geofencing, allows its AI to adapt to new environments without significant pre-programming. Andrew Macdonald, president and COO of Uber, said, "We're excited to take the next step in our journey with Wayve, bringing autonomous mobility to one of the world's busiest and most complex urban environments." Trials are expected to begin by spring 2026. The UK transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said the agreement is "a fantastic vote of confidence in this new technology", adding that the trials could create 38,000 jobs and contribute £42 billion to the economy. The UK's unique driving conditions, including varying road layouts and traffic laws, offer a contrasting environment to the US, where most Level 4 testing has occurred. Insights gained from the UK are expected to help improve the global scalability of autonomous systems. This initiative builds on a 2024 collaboration between Wayve and Uber to integrate Wayve's AI into Uber-operated vehicles. The new phase will move from development to live operations, with further details on the trial and the OEM partner expected in the coming months. Wayve recently showcased its technology by deploying a single AI model across 90 cities worldwide during a 90-day roadshow. "We drove through Tokyo, Milan, and Montana -- all with the same AI model," Kendall said. "That's the power of AV2.0." Both companies stated their commitment to advancing safe and efficient autonomous mobility while strengthening the UK's position in global transportation innovation.

Uber will bring robotaxis to London in 2026 - SiliconANGLE

London's famed black cabs will be joined by autonomous taxis early next year when Uber Technologies Inc. links up with British artificial intelligence firm Wayve Technologies Ltd. in Uber's first pilot scheme for robotaxis. With Google LLC's Waymo currently leading the pack where robotaxis are concerned, Uber is playing catch-up, as is Tesla Inc., which today announced it will soon be bringing autonomous taxis to Austin, Texas. Meanwhile, Waymo has become the target of anti-ICE protestors in the U.S., with some protestors less than enamored with the prospect of a driverless future. Uber said its London plan will be its first foray into robotaxis, with the trial to start with human drivers at the wheel - a safety standard for autonomous driving known in the industry as "Level 4." The company said that the hurdle will be passed and London will soon get its first fully autonomous taxis, although it didn't say exactly when that will happen. This was recently made possible after the U.K. government had a volte-face and introduced an accelerated framework to bring autonomous bus and taxi commercial services to the country. "By having faster reaction times than humans, and by being trained on large numbers of driving scenarios, including learning from real-world incidents, self-driving vehicles can help reduce deaths and injuries," the government said in a press release discussing the upcoming legislation, the Automated Vehicles Act. While the impact of driverless taxis in a city that is renowned for its seemingly never-ending sinuous streets - where human-driven taxis are omnipresent - has already been discussed in terms of possible job losses, the U.K.'s Department for Transport has said the industry could create 38,000 jobs and add £42 billion ($56 billion) to the U.K. economy by 2035. "The future of transport is arriving," said Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander. "Self-driving cars could bring jobs, investment, and the opportunity for the U.K , to be among the world leaders in new technology." It seems London's "cabbies" are not overly concerned about the rise of the robotaxi in their city, with the general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, Steve McNamara, telling The Guardian that robotaxis on London's streets is "fantasy." He added, "We're probably going to have flying taxis before we have autonomous ones in London," explaining that if such vehicles are struggling with San Francisco's streets, they won't have a chance in London. "Come back to me in 2040," he said.

Uber, Wayve to Test Autonomous Vehicles in London

The U.K. Department for Transport also said Tuesday that it is approving self-driving test programs for spring 2026, a year ahead of schedule. Uber Technologies (UBER) announced on Tuesday plans to test self-driving vehicles using AI software made by Wayve on the road in London. The companies have partnered previously, with Uber participating in a fundraising round for Wayve last August, when the companies said they planned to bring Wayve's self-driving technology to Uber's platform. That partnership is now a step closer to putting real vehicles on the road for customers, but Uber and Wayve did not provide an exact timeline for the pilot programs. Also on Tuesday, the United Kingdom's Department for Transport issued a release saying the regulator would green light self-driving pilot programs for spring 2026, a year earlier than it had expected. The agency said that self-driving companies like Wayve have been running tests in the U.K. this year, but added that "self-driving cars without a safety driver could be available for people to book via an app for the first time" starting next spring. Wayve and Uber said the automaker partner that will provide the cars and the timeline for the tests in London will be released in the coming months. After the trial program in London, the companies said they expect to expand to other European markets. The agreement is the latest in a long line of deals that Uber, and rideshare rival Lyft (LYFT), have struck to ensure their platforms aren't left behind amid the push to autonomous driving technology. Uber's partnership with Alphabet's (GOOGL) Waymo has expanded to new markets like Austin, Texas so far this year, as Tesla (TSLA) prepares to launch its own robotaxi service in the city this month. Uber shares were up 1% in premarket trading, and are up about 44% since the start of the year entering Tuesday.

Uber, SoftBank-Backed Wayve To Test Self-Driving Cars On Public Roads In UK - Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER)

Wayve and Uber Technologies, Inc UBER on Tuesday announced a first-ever plan to develop and launch public-road trials of Level 4 (L4) fully autonomous vehicles in London. This was enabled by the U.K. Secretary of State for Transport's announcement of an accelerated framework for self-driving commercial pilots. In 2024, Wayve and Uber announced a multi-year collaboration to integrate Wayve's Embodied AI into vehicles operating on the Uber platform. This next phase moves the partnership into live operational trials on U.K. roads, building toward scaled deployment in key European markets. Also Read: Uber Wins Analyst Praise For Robotaxi Boom, Lyft Faces Tougher Road Ahead The announcement marks the U.K. as the largest market in which Uber shares plans to pilot autonomous vehicles. The trials will combine Wayve's Embodied AI platform with Uber's global mobility network to bring autonomous vehicles to the streets of Europe at scale. Wayve and Uber will collaborate with the U.K. Government and Transport for London on the regulatory approval process before the launch. Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, said that by fast-tracking pilots of self-driving vehicles to spring 2026, it noted safety-first tests that will drive growth, create 38,000 jobs, and add 42 billion pounds to its economy. In April, Nissan Motor announced partnering with Wayve to power the next generation of its ProPilot driver-assist system, set to debut in vehicles by the 2027 fiscal year. Wayve, backed by a $1.3 billion funding led by SoftBank SFTBF SFTBY, has emerged as a key player in the autonomous vehicle space. Other major investors include Nvidia Corp NVDA, Microsoft Corp (MSFT), and Uber. Price Action: UBER stock is trading higher by 0.59% to $87.63 premarket at last check Tuesday. Read Next: Uber Taps Palo Alto Chief Nikesh Arora For Directorship Photo by DenPhotos via Shutterstock UBERUber Technologies Inc$88.031.04%Stock Score Locked: Want to See it? Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Reveal Full ScoreEdge RankingsMomentum87.05Growth97.56QualityNot AvailableValue44.41Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewNVDANVIDIA Corp$143.130.35%SFTBFSoftBank Group Corp$51.29-%SFTBYSoftBank Group Corp$27.06-%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Wayve and Uber Partner to Launch L4 Autonomy Trials in the UK

Wayve and Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) today announced a first-ever plan to develop and launch public-road trials of Level 4 (L4) fully autonomous vehicles in London. This announcement marks the UK as the largest market where Uber has announced an intention to pilot autonomous vehicles. These trials will combine Wayve's industry-leading Embodied AI platform with Uber's global mobility network, marking a significant step forward in bringing autonomous vehicles to the streets of Europe at scale. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250610938773/en/ This opportunity has been enabled by the UK Secretary of State for Transport's announcement today of an accelerated framework for self-driving commercial pilots, a crucial step towards making the UK a world leader in this technology. Wayve and Uber will collaborate with the UK Government and Transport for London on the permitting and regulatory approval process prior to launch. London and other UK cities represent complex driving environments, with significantly different road layouts and traffic laws compared to locations in the US, where a majority of global L4 testing has until now been conducted. The lessons learnt from the UK will therefore be a major step forward in the development of L4 technology for deployment in cities around the world. Alex Kendall, CEO and Co-founder of Wayve, commented: "This is a defining moment for UK autonomy. With Uber and a global OEM partner, we're preparing to put our AI Driver technology into real service on the streets of London, delivering on our AV2.0 vision for scalable autonomy. Our Embodied AI learns to drive anywhere, in any vehicle, and this trial brings us closer to bringing safe and intelligent driving to everyday rides across the UK and beyond." Andrew Macdonald, President and Chief Operating Officer of Uber, added: "We're excited to take the next step in our journey with Wayve, bringing autonomous mobility to one of the world's busiest and most complex urban environments. Wayve's globally scalable AV2.0 approach makes them an ideal partner to bring Uber's autonomous vision to reality in new cities around the world. Our vision is to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere, and this trial in London brings that future closer to reality." Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, said: "Today's agreement, between two leading names at the forefront of the sector, is a fantastic vote of confidence in this new technology. "By fast tracking pilots of self-driving vehicles to spring 2026, we are excited to see safety-first tests that will drive growth, create 38,000 jobs and add £42bn to our economy." AV2.0: The Foundation for Global Autonomy Wayve's AI-first approach, known as AV2.0, moves beyond the constraints of traditional AV systems that rely on HD maps, hand-coded rules, or geofenced domains. Instead, Wayve's end-to-end Embodied AI learns from experience like a human driver, enabling it to adapt to new roads, vehicles, and cities with unprecedented efficiency. This capability was recently demonstrated in Wayve's Global Roadshow, where a single AI Driver navigated 90 cities in 90 days across Europe, North America, and Japan -- handling dense urban streets, rural tracks, and complex highway conditions with minimal prior exposure. Alex Kendall, CEO and Co-founder of Wayve, commented: "We drove through Tokyo, Milan, and Montana -- all with the same AI model. That's the power of AV2.0. It's what gives us the confidence to launch a driverless ride-hailing service with Uber, starting in London and expanding to other cities around the world." Next Phase of the Partnership In 2024, Wayve and Uber announced a multi-year collaboration to integrate Wayve's Embodied AI into vehicles operating on the Uber platform. This next phase moves the partnership into live operational trials on UK roads, building toward scaled deployment in key European markets. Further details on the OEM partner and trial timeline will be shared in the coming months. Wayve and Uber are committed to delivering safe, convenient, and intelligent autonomous driving services, unlocking new mobility opportunities while reinforcing the UK's leadership in next-generation transportation. About Wayve Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology for automated driving. Their advanced AI software and foundation models for autonomy enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any environment, enhancing the usability and safety of autonomous driving systems. Wayve is developing mapless and hardware-agnostic Embodied AI products for automakers and fleet owners, accelerating the path from assisted to automated driving. Backed by top investors like SoftBank Group, NVIDIA, and Eclipse Ventures, Wayve's mission is to reimagine mobility with embodied intelligence. To learn more, please visit www.wayve.ai. About Uber Uber's mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 61 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.

Uber launches driverless cab trial in London

Legislation in the U.K. has been updated to allow the introduction of small-scale autonomous services sooner, with the government expecting 38,000 jobs and a £42 billion contribution to the economy by 2035. will launch a trial of driverless cabs in next spring. The initiative will see autonomous vehicles without human safety drivers driving through city streets. The ride-hailing giant will partner with Wayve, a -based AI company that has been testing its autonomous driving technology in under current regulations. Possible 38,000 new jobs This development follows recent changes in legislation regarding driverless cars. Initially planned for 2026, the rollout was later pushed back to the end of 2027. However, the government has now introduced an accelerated framework to allow earlier rollout of small-scale autonomous commercial services such as bus and cab transport. predicts that the autonomous vehicle industry could create 38,000 jobs and contribute £42 billion to the British economy by 2035. However, concerns have been raised about the potential social impacts of driverless cars and cabs, including job displacement, underscoring the need for comprehensive considerations. Safety concerns launched a robot taxi service in , in March and demonstrated that its driverless vehicles are capable of driving for extended periods of time, up to 20 hours a day, seven days a week. Customers have the choice to opt for a robotic cab if one is available, at no additional cost. Tesla plans to launch a competing service in the same city in June. Fully autonomous cars have already traveled millions of miles on public roads in several countries, including , the and . Ongoing research is investigating whether they are safer than human-driven vehicles. Studies based on data from the suggest that automated vehicles are less likely to cause accidents than human drivers. Nevertheless, incidents involving robot cabs have occurred in the countries where they operate, ranging from road collisions to entrapment of passengers. A robot taxi service in was discontinued because of a series of malfunctions. If you want access to all articles, enjoy our promo temporarily and subscribe here!

Uber: moving towards L4 autonomous driving trials in London

Uber has announced its first ever plan to develop and launch public road testing of fully autonomous Level 4 (L4) vehicles in London, making the UK the largest market where it has announced plans to pilot autonomous vehicles. These trials will combine Wayve's industry-leading embodied AI platform with Uber's global mobility network, marking an important step toward the large-scale introduction of autonomous vehicles on the streets of Europe. Uber says that London and other cities in the UK represent complex driving environments, with road layouts and traffic rules that are very different from those in the US, where the majority of L4 testing has been conducted to date. Copyright (c) 2025 CercleFinance.com. All rights reserved.