Autonomous vehicle technology has made its public debut on London’s roads through a partnership between Uber and British technology company Wayve.
From Thursday, Uber users can book rides in self-driving vehicles across the capital, marking a significant step in the companies’ efforts to advance autonomous transport in Europe.
The initial rollout involves 15 licensed Ford Mustang vehicles fitted with Wayve’s artificial intelligence system.
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Transport for London has approved the vehicles under private hire vehicle regulations, which require a licensed safety driver to remain behind the wheel, monitor the vehicle and take manual control when necessary.
The companies must secure separate approval from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency before they can operate the vehicles without human safety drivers.
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Industry observers do not expect the approval to come this year.Although the initial fleet is small compared with the more than 100,000 private hire vehicles operating in London, demand could be strong.
About 100,000 Uber users have already registered their interest in the autonomous service. Passengers who secure a ride can unlock the vehicle through the Uber app.
A safety driver will remain inside the vehicle and follow a standard script informing passengers that they will not speak during the journey unless they need to take control of the steering or braking systems.
Wayve has taken a different approach from competitors such as Google-backed Waymo and China’s Baidu. Rather than relying on detailed pre-mapped environments, the British company uses end-to-end artificial intelligence models to enable its vehicles to learn and respond to their surroundings.
Recent tests in central London demonstrated the system’s ability to handle complex urban situations, including adjusting its driving in real time to avoid blocking access points while parking.
Wayve plans to expand the service by integrating its AI software into newly manufactured Nissan Leaf electric vehicles. The company said it would introduce fully driverless operations once vehicle safety testing, manufacturing and regulatory approvals are in place, although it has not set a firm timeline.
The launch places London alongside cities in the United States, China and the United Arab Emirates where autonomous vehicles already operate. It also follows Uber’s driver-supervised autonomous vehicle rollout in Zagreb, Croatia.
Government officials welcomed the initiative as a milestone for Britain’s technology sector and wider economic growth, describing London’s complex traffic environment as an important testing ground for autonomous driving technology.
Uber executives said autonomous vehicles could make transport safer and more affordable in the long term.
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However, the company stressed that human drivers would remain an important part of its platform as demand for its services grows.
Labour representatives have raised concerns about the potential impact of autonomous vehicles on employment, warning that large-scale adoption could cause significant social and economic disruption for hundreds of thousands of people working in the driving sector.
