Self-driving Uber rides launch in London: How to get one
Key Points
- Uber and Wayve launched supervised autonomous rides in London on 3 September, a UK first for the public
- Riders on UberX, Uber Electric and Uber Comfort may be matched with a Wayve Ford Mustang Mach-E at no extra cost
- A TfL-licensed private hire driver stays onboard during the initial phase
- Riders can decline the autonomous car before it arrives or opt in via Ride Preferences in Settings
- More than 140,000 Londoners signed up ahead of launch
Uber and Wayve launched supervised self-driving rides in London on Thursday (3 September), the first time members of the public in the UK can book an autonomous trip.
Uber said in an announcement that riders across London requesting UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort may now be matched with an all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E fitted with the Wayve AI Driver at no extra cost.
A trained, TfL-licensed private hire driver sits in every vehicle during this first phase to oversee the trip. The company said any autonomous vehicle on its network must meet its published Safety Guidelines.
Riders matched with a Wayve car can accept the trip or switch to a conventional ride before the vehicle arrives. Once the car pulls up, the rider unlocks the doors and starts the journey from the Uber app in the same way as any other trip.
Uber said it is starting with a small number of vehicles and will expand in line with rider demand, readiness and regulation. Transport for London granted private hire vehicle licences to Wayve’s Mach-E fleet in August, and Reuters reported at the time that the trial permits up to 15 cars for one year.
Londoners who want a better chance of being matched can opt in through the Ride Preferences section under Settings in the Uber app. More than 140,000 people had already signed up before launch, it added.
Wayve was founded in London and has trained its driving system on the capital’s roads since 2018. The firm’s approach, which it calls AV2.0, uses an AI model that learns from driving experience rather than relying on high-definition maps or hand-coded rules.
Alphabet-owned Waymo is also testing vehicles with safety drivers in London ahead of a planned commercial service, while Lyft and Baidu have set out plans for a UK robotaxi launch.
