American robotaxi firm Waymo is bringing its autonomous ride-hailing service across the pond with a launch in London next year.
Source: Waymo
The service will be available via the Waymo app, offering an alternative to conventional public transport.
Over the coming months, Waymo will lay the groundwork for its service in collaboration with fleet operations partner Moove and will continue to engage with local and national leaders to secure the necessary permissions for the commercial ride-hailing service in London. The news comes after the Government confirmed this summer that trials of self-driving vehicles are set to start in England from 2026, springboarding plans to make the UK a world leader in the technology.
In the US, the Waymo Driver service has already driven over one hundred million fully autonomous miles on public roads and provided more than ten million paid rides.
“We’re thrilled to bring the reliability, safety and magic of Waymo to Londoners,” said Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana. “Waymo is making roads safer and transportation more accessible where we operate. We’ve demonstrated how to responsibly scale fully autonomous ride-hailing, and we can’t wait to expand the benefits of our technology to the UK.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “I’m delighted that Waymo intends to bring their services to London next year, under our proposed piloting scheme.
“Boosting the AV sector will increase accessible transport options alongside bringing jobs, investment and opportunities to the UK. Cutting-edge investment such as this will help us deliver our mission to be world-leaders in new technology and spearhead national renewal that delivers real change in our communities.”
And Ladi Delano, co-founder and co-CEO of Moove, said the partnership represents a major step forward for urban mobility, “bringing world-class innovation to one of the world’s greatest cities”.
Waymo already has strong ties to the UK. London and Oxford are home to the firm’s first international engineering hubs. It also has a partnership with JLR, whose all-electric I-Pace SUVs outfitted with Waymo Driver are serving hundreds of thousands of fully autonomous rides every week in the US and have also been rolled out to Japan.
The London launch has been greeted as a win for road safety, including ambitious targets for reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on the city’s roads.
Waymo cites data that its technology is involved in five times fewer injury-causing collisions, and twelve times fewer injury-causing collisions with pedestrians compared to humans.
It’s also seen as a key moment for accessible transport.
“The planned introduction of Waymo in the UK represents the potential for the dawn of a new era in independent mobility options for blind and partially sighted people,” said Robin Spinks, head of inclusive design at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). “As someone who’s been severely sight impaired since birth, I’ve long hoped for the day when technology can safely enable spontaneous autonomous travel. Autonomous vehicles systems should be accessible to everyone and we’re working with the community and our industry partners to ensure that the rollout of this technology prioritises the safety and diverse needs of riders and pedestrians.”
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd (SMMT) welcomed the announcement.
A spokesperson said: “The anticipated arrival of self-driving cars in London next year is a landmark moment, tangibly translating the ambition of Britain’s advanced regulatory framework into a social and mobility revolution.
“With the right legislation in place, we will be well-positioned to unlock the benefits of automated vehicles – safer roads, high-quality job creation, more efficient logistics and economic growth.”