London’s roads might soon be full of robotaxis, thanks to a new bromance between Wayve and Uber. The self-driving tech firm and the ride-hailing giant have teamed up to bring fully driverless cabs to the capital, eventually.
They haven’t said exactly when. Or how many. Or what they’ll look like.
The government’s just decided to speed up the launch date for self-driving pilots from 2027 to 2026. Apparently, they’re hoping it’ll lure in investors and maybe make traffic a bit more sci-fi.
Wayve’s tech is supposed to work with Nissan vehicles. Their CEO, Alex Kendall, says their Embodied AI can drive anywhere, in any car. Pretty bold claim, considering London’s traffic can stump even the best sat-nav.
Uber, ever the opportunist, sees this as another chance to sprinkle some autonomous magic into their app. They’ve been cozying up to self-driving companies for years, so no surprise they’re on board. After all, fewer human drivers means fewer headaches, right?
Wayve’s also been busy showing off its AI-500 Roadshow, testing its driverless magic in 90 cities in 90 days. Next stop: the mean streets of London. If their AI can survive a day on the M25, we’ll be impressed.
Before these robotaxis hit the road, though, every player, from Wayve to Uber, has to prove to regulators that their bit of the system is safe. Because nothing says “trust me” like a car that drives itself.
