Uber has launched autonomous passenger rides in London, marking the first time members of the UK public can be matched with a self-driving vehicle while requesting a normal ride through the Uber app.
The service has been launched in partnership with British autonomous-driving technology company Wayve and initially uses all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles fitted with the company’s AI Driver system.
Passengers requesting an UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort journey in London can now potentially be matched with one of the autonomous vehicles at no additional cost.
The rollout represents a major change from the testing and limited demonstrations of autonomous vehicles previously seen on UK roads.
However, the vehicles are not yet operating without a human behind the wheel.
During the initial launch phase, every autonomous Uber will have a trained and Transport for London-licensed private hire driver onboard to supervise the journey and take control if required.
The Wayve system itself will perform the driving during normal operation.
Uber says passengers who are matched with an autonomous vehicle will be told before it arrives and will always have the option to switch to a conventional Uber instead.
Customers who actively want to try the technology can increase their chances of being matched by opting into Wayve rides through the Trip Preferences section of the Uber app.
More than 140,000 Londoners have already opted in.
The service is starting with a small fleet. Reuters reported that fewer than 20 vehicles will initially be available, with numbers expected to grow gradually as demand, regulation and operational readiness allow.
The cars can operate across London, although airport journeys are excluded from the launch area.
Once a Wayve vehicle arrives, passengers can unlock its doors and begin their journey through the Uber app.
Interactive screens inside the vehicle are available in 64 languages and allow passengers to view information including the route the autonomous system intends to follow.
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The technology behind the vehicles has been developed in Britain.
Wayve was founded in London and has been testing and training its autonomous-driving technology on the capital’s roads since 2018.
Its approach differs from some rival robotaxi systems because it is designed to learn how to drive from experience rather than depending entirely on detailed pre-mapped routes and large numbers of hand-coded driving rules.
Wayve calls the system AV2.0 and says its AI Driver is designed to adapt to different roads, vehicles, weather conditions and cities.
The launch follows Transport for London’s decision in August to grant private hire vehicle licences to a number of Wayve-equipped Mustang Mach-Es.
At that stage, DM News reported that the vehicles had completed TfL’s licensing requirements but were not yet available as a general public Uber service.
Today’s launch moves the project from that regulatory and testing stage into everyday passenger operation.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the rollout as a major milestone for London’s transport system while acknowledging the continuing importance of people currently working within the sector.
The longer-term objective is for the vehicles to eventually operate without the supervising private hire driver.
That has not happened yet and further regulatory approval will be required before fully driverless passenger services can operate.
The distinction is particularly important for taxi and private hire drivers.
Passengers may now experience a journey in which the vehicle performs the driving, but there is still a licensed human driver sitting inside every Wayve Uber during this initial phase.
Uber says autonomous vehicles will form part of a hybrid network in which conventional drivers and autonomous vehicles operate alongside each other.
The company is working with more than 30 autonomous-vehicle partners globally and says autonomous journeys are already being completed through its platform in other markets.
Uber expects to facilitate autonomous trips in as many as 15 cities worldwide by the end of 2026 and has set an ambition of becoming the world’s largest facilitator of autonomous vehicle journeys by 2029.
For Britain’s private hire industry, today’s London launch is therefore much more significant than another autonomous-car demonstration.
For the first time, an ordinary passenger opening Uber and requesting a conventional ride in the UK can potentially be offered an autonomous car to complete that journey.
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Sources
Uber – Wayve and Uber Launch First-Ever Autonomous Rides in the UK
