Uber and Wayve to Launch London Robotaxi Service

Wayve and Uber announced plans on June 8, 2026, to launch a commercial robotaxi service in London as early as this summer. The initiative marks the first commercial autonomous taxi service in Britain and Europe, utilizing AI that learns from sensor data rather than relying on pre-mapped routes or geofenced zones. Uber has already opened an interest list via its app, integrating the service into UberX, Uber Electric, and Uber Comfort options at no additional cost to passengers.

To ensure safety during the phased introduction, the initial fleet of co-branded Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles will include licensed safety operators behind the wheel. The company plans to transition to fully driverless operations once public trust and safety are proven. Following the London debut, Wayve intends to expand to Tokyo and ten additional cities later this year.

While UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander praised the partnership as a British success story, the GMB union called for legislation to protect human drivers from unemployment. The launch places Wayve in direct competition with Alphabet's Waymo, which is testing autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in London with a planned public opening by the end of 2026.

Parallel to these developments, Uber is expanding its European autonomous footprint. The company announced a robotaxi program in Munich, Germany, in collaboration with Autobrains and Nvidia. Additionally, ride-hailing platform Bolt, Pony.ai, and Stellantis began testing self-driving taxis in Luxembourg on June 9, coinciding with an EU effort to create a common cross-border testing framework.