Uber tells London to prepare for robo-taxis

Uber is preparing to put automated taxis on the streets of London, opening up a bucket list for passengers who want to be among the first to hail one of Wayve’s self-driving vehicles when the service launches later this year. The rollout will be a milestone in one of Uber’s largest markets and an early test of whether there is an appetite for driverless rides outside the United States and China, where taxis already transport passengers.

The company is asking Londoners to show interest in being among the first public passengers in its co-branded Uber x Wayve self-driving cars. In Uber app settings, customers can sign up by selecting “Join Interest List” in the “Self-Driving Vehicles” section under “Ride Preferences.” Uber says joining the list will “increase its chances of matching Wayve’s self-driving vehicle at launch” and keep it updated on the service’s launch.

Neither Uber nor Wayve, a British startup based in London, has set a specific launch date for the service, although both companies have said the service will go live “in the coming months.” Customers who are matched with a Wayve vehicle will be notified in the Uber app and given the option to switch to a non-self-driving vehicle ride. Uber says riders who order UberX, Uber Electric, or Uber Comfort will pay the same price, at “no additional cost” to use the self-driving car.

Uber and Wayve are positioning the launch as a phased launch rather than a citywide rollout of their robo-taxi service, with negotiations over scope and scale ongoing with local authorities. Both declined to specify which parts of London the vehicles would cover or the size of the fleet, although Wayve’s Victor Charonsovensak said Edge It will start with a medium to high number of cars.

The first rides will not be completely driverless. Local regulations currently require vehicles to have a safe driver at the wheel, ready to take over if necessary. Uber and Wayve have not said when these drivers will be removed.

Even with these limits, Uber’s list of interests adds momentum to efforts to bring robotaxis to London’s roads. The UK currently has no fully autonomous vehicles on public roads, although several companies are testing them. The government has said pilots of driverless passenger cars could begin from spring 2026, although more full launches won’t take place until late 2027, when Motor Vehicles Act 2024 It takes full effect.