Uber and Wayve bring supervised robotaxis to London

Uber and Wayve have launched supervised autonomous rides in London, using 15 electric vehicles as part of the UK's first public robotaxi service. Customers can book UberX, Uber Electric, or Uber Comfort rides and may be matched with a Ford Mustang Mach-E equipped with Wayve’s autonomous-driving system. A Transport for London-licensed private hire driver remains in the vehicle during the trip, ready to take control if necessary.

There is no extra charge for these autonomous rides, and passengers can unlock the car and start their journey through the Uber app. The service is currently limited to 15 vehicles and excludes airport trips. Passengers can opt-in to improve their chances of being matched with a Wayve vehicle, but availability remains limited. Wayve’s system, called the Wayve AI Driver, uses machine-learning models to interpret road conditions and make driving decisions.

The presence of a safety driver means the service is not yet fully driverless. London authorities have authorized the vehicles as licensed private hire cars, but the broader regulatory framework for automated passenger services is still evolving. The UK government has opened applications for automated passenger service pilots, which operators must meet strict safety requirements to participate in.