Uber launches supervised self-driving taxi service in London

US-based ride-hailing company Uber has launched an autonomous taxi service in London, marking the first time such rides have been made available to the public in the UK.

London became the second European city after Zagreb where autonomous vehicles can be booked through the Uber app. Uber launched its Zagreb service in August.

The initial rollout involves fewer than 20 all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with autonomous-driving technology developed by British company Wayve.

A trained private-hire driver licensed by Transport for London will initially remain inside each vehicle to supervise the journey and intervene if necessary.

Passengers requesting an UberX, Uber Comfort or Uber Electric ride may be matched with an autonomous vehicle at no additional cost. Riders will be able to accept the vehicle or switch to a conventional ride before it arrives.

The vehicles can travel throughout London, except to and from airports, according to Uber.

Wayve's technology uses an artificial intelligence system that learns from experience in a manner similar to a human driver. The system is designed to adapt to new roads, vehicles, weather conditions and cities without relying on traditional high-definition maps or manually coded rules.

Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's global head of autonomous mobility and delivery, said the launch was intended to build confidence in the technology among consumers and the government.

Wayve co-founder and CEO Alex Kendall said the technology would support London's existing transportation system.

"Autonomous driving technology will complement the city's rich transport network, and we're excited for Londoners to experience it first," Kendall said.

Uber acquired a stake in Wayve in 2024 as part of a partnership aimed at deploying vehicles powered by the British company's technology in additional markets.

The partnership envisages introducing Wayve-powered vehicles to Uber's platform in 12 markets worldwide. Uber said it expects to facilitate autonomous trips in as many as 15 cities by the end of 2026.