London, Allowing Them to Offer Self-driving Taxi Rides to Paying Customers, But With a Human Safety Driver in Place for Now

The companies said they would start trips in the UK “later this summer” before the full public launch. Transport for London (TfL) granted 15 private hire vehicle licences to Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with Wayve’s AI driving software, as well as surround cameras and radar. A TfL-licensed private hire driver will sit in the driver’s seat during trips to intervene if necessary, although the software is expected to control the car.

The next step, operating without a driver, will require approval via a new automated passenger services permit with the government’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. TfL said it would monitor the vehicles and was ready to intervene if passenger safety was compromised. A TfL spokesperson said: Safety is our top priority.

Any new vehicle licensed to carry passengers on London’s roads must align with our Vision Zero goal of eliminating all deaths and serious injuries from collisions on London’s streets by 2041. Uber and Wayve said more than 100,000 Londoners were on their waiting list. Wayve, co-founded by New Zealand-born Alex Kendall, has been testing its tech in London since 2018 with safety drivers. Sarah Gates, Wayve’s vice-president for global affairs and assurance, said: This licence is an important step towards giving Londoners the chance to experience autonomous driving technology.

The responsible deployment of these vehicles will bring us safer, cleaner and quieter streets. Uber abandoned its own self-driving development in 2020 but works with partners including Chinese firm WeRide, which operates driverless taxis in Abu Dhabi. Wayve is also working with Nissan on integrating its tech in private cars.

Uber’s global head of autonomous mobility operations, Annie Duvnjak, said: This licence is a key milestone in bringing autonomous rides to London on Uber. The news came as Uber reported better-than-expected second-quarter gross bookings of $58.02bn (£43bn), but said next-quarter earnings would fall below Wall Street forecasts, with earnings per share between 84 and 88 cents versus analysts’ expectations of 89 cents. The company also outlined plans to spend more than $10bn on autonomous vehicles over the coming years.