The futuristic dream of hailing a self-driving cab has officially arrived on UK streets, as Uber launches its first autonomous ride-hailing service in London. But before you expect a completely empty front seat, there is a small catch: a human is still behind the wheel. For now!
The Tech Behind the Wheel
Uber has partnered with British autonomous driving startup Wayve to roll out a fleet of all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles. Equipped with Wayve’s cutting-edge “AI Driver” technology (dubbed AV 2.0), these vehicles don’t rely on the highly detailed, pre-programmed digital maps used by many competitors. Instead, the AI system learns from real-world driving experiences, allowing it to independently make decisions, adapt to unexpected situations, and navigate London’s notoriously narrow and complex roads.
The “Driverless” Experience
While the car’s AI handles the actual driving, Transport for London (TfL) regulations currently require a trained, licensed private hire driver to sit in the front seat as a supervisor. This safety driver will introduce themselves with a brief script at the start of the journey and remain silent for the rest of the ride, ready to intervene and take the controls if necessary.
Fully driverless services without a human supervisor will require separate regulatory approval from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), a milestone that industry experts do not expect to see completed this year.
How to Hail One
If you want to try out the new tech, you’ll need a bit of luck. Uber is starting small with an initial fleet of just 15 Wayve-equipped vehicles.
To increase your chances of catching one:
- Open the Uber app and go to Account > Settings > Ride Preferences.
- Opt-in to Autonomous Vehicles (AV).
- Request an UberX, Uber Electric, or Uber Comfort ride within London (airport trips are currently excluded).
If you are matched with a robotaxi, you will be offered the ride at no extra cost, and you always have the option to decline it in favor of a standard human-driven car before it arrives. Competition for a ride will be stiff, as Uber notes that more than 140,000 Londoners have already opted into the AV preference.
A Major Milestone
This launch allows Uber to beat deep-pocketed rivals like Google-owned Waymo and China’s Baidu to the punch in the UK passenger market. Alex Kendall, CEO and co-founder of Wayve, celebrated the milestone, noting that he was proud to launch in London, “our home city and one of the most complex driving environments in the world”.
While it is currently a supervised test phase, Uber’s head of autonomous mobility, Sarfraz Maredia, noted that the eventual goal for consumers is a fully uncrewed service that is “both safer and cheaper”.
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