The latest

Londoners can now be offered an autonomous vehicle after booking through Uber, marking a limited commercial debut for robotaxis in the UK capital and a new front in the international contest to commercialise self-driving transport. The 15-car fleet still carries human safety drivers, and customers cannot specifically request a robotaxi. Uber plans a gradual expansion over several years, while regulators work toward rules that could permit fully driverless vehicles on British roads in 2027. The launch could eventually reshape operating costs and demand for professional drivers, but authorities and unions are pressing for safety and workforce protections before wider deployment.

Details

• Fare structure: Autonomous trips cost the same as comparable UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort rides, with the price shown in advance. The robotaxi option appears only after booking when a vehicle is nearby, limiting immediate consumer choice while the fleet remains small.
• Demand signal: Uber said more than 100,000 London app users surveyed would take a self-driving taxi if available. That stated appetite gives the company a potential customer base as it tests adoption without discounting autonomous rides below its established products.
• Technology platform: The fleet uses electric Ford Mustang Mach-Es fitted with Wayve’s artificial-intelligence system. Roof-mounted and other sensors track traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, signs and obstacles, allowing the software to interpret changing conditions in real time rather than depend heavily on pre-programmed routes.
• Safety intervention: On a test journey, the car braked as it passed a parked van whose rear doors appeared to open into the road, sounding an internal alarm. The safety driver briefly took control; Wayve said the driver chose to intervene and its system could have handled the situation.
• Jobs concern: Uber’s autonomous mobility chief Sarfraz Maredia said human drivers would remain important in London for many years. GMB senior organiser David McMullen warned of “unprecedented levels of social and economic disruption” without careful management and called for safeguards for professional drivers.
• Global competition: British developer Wayve is competing with Google’s Waymo and China’s Baidu, which are also seeking to establish UK self-driving services. Wayve chief executive Alex Kendall called autonomous driving “the space race for our generation”, while acknowledging major technical challenges.
• Street performance: During the same central London ride, the vehicle handled traffic lights, roadworks and busy streets without difficulty, and responded when a cyclist waved it through a mini roundabout. The episode illustrated the system’s real-time approach before the later intervention near the van.

What’s next

The next concrete milestone is the UK regulatory framework targeted for 2027. Any fully driverless commercial service must pass safety testing, secure regulatory approval and obtain local consent; Transport for London says safety will determine the pace.