Uber is ready to trial fully autonomous vehicles in London next spring. When the trial starts, Uber, working alongside British AI firm Wayve, will put cars without a human safety driver on UK roads for the very first time.
Wayve has already been quietly testing autonomous tech in London, albeit with a human safety net, due to current legal requirements. With the collaboration between Uber and Wayve, though, it looks like we are one step closer towards removing the driver altogether.
This has all come following recent changes in UK government policy, which originally pencilled in 2026 for the arrival of driverless cars, then pushed the date back to late 2027. Now, there’s a fast-tracked framework for small-scale autonomous taxi and shuttle services, potentially bringing them to British roads even sooner.
Uber hasn’t confirmed whether the upcoming London trials will include rides for paying customers, saying that details are still being worked out. However, one thing Uber has confirmed is its long-term goal of making robotaxis a regular option via the app as soon as regulations allow.
The Department for Transport believes the industry could generate 38,000 jobs and contribute £42 billion to the UK economy by 2035.
Uber has already launched a robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, back in March, where users can choose a driverless ride at no extra cost. The cars run up to 20 hours a day, every day. Tesla is expected to launch a competing service in the same city this month.
Fully autonomous vehicles have already covered millions of public road miles in countries like China, the UAE, and Singapore. Studies suggest they’re safer than human drivers, but there are still issues to resolve. For example, San Francisco recently pulled one service after multiple incidents, including collisions and technical failures that left passengers stranded.
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