Uber launches autonomous rides in London with Wayve AI

Uber started offering autonomous rides in London on Wednesday using artificial intelligence technology from British company Wayve. The launch makes London the second European city where the company operates robotaxis, following Zagreb, where the company partnered with Chinese robotaxi firm Pony.AI.

A licensed operator will remain in the vehicle during initial operations to monitor the car. The companies said fully driverless operations will begin at a later date.

Riders who request an UberX, Uber Comfort or Uber Electric may be matched with a Wayve-powered Ford Mustang Mach-E at no extra charge, the companies said in a statement.

The service will start with fewer than 20 cars available.

Uber formed a partnership with Wayve in 2024, which included an investment. The collaboration aims to deploy Wayve-powered vehicles across multiple markets in the future.