UK's First Robotaxi Launches in London | Uber × Wayve, 140,000 Sign Up
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On September 3, 2026, Uber, the major ride-hailing app, and UK-based AI company Wayve launched an autonomous taxi service in London.
This marks the first time in the UK that members of the general public can ride in a self-driving vehicle.
Londoners simply open the Uber app as usual and select any of the following: "UberX," "Uber Electric," or "Uber Comfort."
If they're lucky, they'll be matched with a Wayve autonomous vehicle.
There is no additional charge whatsoever.
More than 140,000 Londoners have already opted into this self-driving option.
Wayve has deployed the Ford Mustang Mach-E, a fully electric vehicle.
The service is starting with around 15 cars, with plans to scale up gradually based on demand.
The Nissan LEAF is also expected to be added in the future.
At this stage, operations are "supervised," meaning a safety driver licensed by Transport for London sits in the driver's seat.
In the event of an emergency, this driver can immediately take the wheel and assume control.
In other words, the vehicles are not fully driverless — a human is present to monitor the journey.
The service covers the whole of London.
However, airport transfers are not currently included.
When a user requests a ride through the Uber app, they are assigned either a regular taxi or an autonomous vehicle.
You won't know in advance which you'll get, but if an autonomous vehicle is dispatched, it will be shown in the app.
Fares are the same as standard Uber pricing, and no tipping prompt is displayed.
Wayve's "Wayve AI Driver" takes a different approach from other companies.
Most autonomous driving systems pre-build detailed 3D maps of cities and use them to navigate.
Wayve, however, uses no 3D maps at all.
Instead, the AI learns on its own by observing its surroundings through cameras.
It works similarly to the way a human learns to drive.
This means the system can operate in new cities without any prior preparation.
In fact, Wayve has a track record of driving in over 500 cities across Europe, North America, and Japan without any prior calibration.
This capability — known as "zero-shot driving" (the ability to drive in an unfamiliar location immediately) — is groundbreaking in the autonomous driving industry.
When it comes to autonomous taxis, Waymo — owned by Alphabet, Google's parent company — is the most well-known player.
Waymo already operates driverless taxis in San Francisco and Phoenix in the United States.
However, in the European market, Wayve made its move before Waymo.
Uber's CEO commented that the launch has "set a benchmark for thousands of Londoners to experience self-driving technology."
While Waymo has been reported to be considering a European expansion, Wayve has taken the lead for now.
This is a significant test of whether a European company can take the lead in an autonomous driving market currently dominated by the US and China.
In 2026, Wayve completed a fundraising round of $1.5 billion (approximately ¥220 billion).
Investors include Microsoft, NVIDIA, Uber, and automakers Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Stellantis.
Backed by this substantial funding, Wayve plans to integrate AI Driver into consumer vehicles starting in 2027.
Initially, this will be at the "L2+" level, offering a feature that allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel while remaining in supervisory control.
In other words, the company is not only developing robotaxis but also pursuing self-driving technology for privately owned vehicles.
In Japan, pilot programs for autonomous taxis are still being conducted in various locations.
However, services available for everyday use by the general public remain limited.
Wayve already has a track record of zero-shot driving in Japan and has a partnership with Nissan.
If operations in London prove successful, a similar service could be rolled out in Japan as well.
In particular, autonomous taxis are seen as a promising mobility option for regional cities facing an aging population.
On the other hand, autonomous taxis still face significant challenges.
In the United States, there have been reports of Waymo robotaxis being involved in accidents and blocking emergency vehicles.
There are also concerns about the impact on taxi drivers' livelihoods.
As the service expands in London, similar issues may come to the surface.
Wayve is currently ensuring safety by stationing safety drivers in each vehicle.
Full driverless operation still appears to be some way off.
This article is a cross-post from AI Friends.
