Uber will develop and publicly test fully driverless cars in the UK as part of a major new project. The popular taxi service has confirmed it will begin trials of Level 4 (L4) fully autonomous vehicles in London.
Uber says the project will work alongside UK AI company Wayve, which has already been testing technology on UK streets. Self-driving taxis could then be on the capital’s streets sooner rather than later, with a spring 2026 launch date earmarked. It is understood that Uber’s driverless cars will initially have a human in the driver’s seat.
This will ensure someone can take over control of a vehicle in the event of an emergency.
However, there is a will for the vehicles to make the transition to being fully driverless in the near future.
Andrew Macdonald, president and chief operating officer of Uber, said: “We’re excited to take the next step in our journey with Wayve, bringing autonomous mobility to one of the world’s busiest and most complex urban environments.
“Wayve’s globally scalable AV2.0 approach makes them an ideal partner to bring Uber’s autonomous vision to reality in new cities around the world.
“Our vision is to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere, and this trial in London brings that future closer to reality.”
The Government has been working on legislation around self-driving vehicles, with autonomous models soon likely to become a reality.
The Automated Vehicles Act could become law in 2027, paving the way for the sale of private driverless cars on UK streets.
However, laws will make clear that vehicles must achieve the same level of safety as a “competent and careful human driver”.
Driverless cars could come with many benefits including increased safety and reduced accidents due to a lack of human error.
However, a recent YouGov poll found that public trust in autonomous vehicles was lacking.
The survey found that just 3% of UK adults would choose to travel in a driverless vehicle compared to one operated by a human.
However, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has welcomed the news, claiming self-driving vehicles could generate thousands of jobs for the UK economy.
She said: “Today’s agreement, between two leading names at the forefront of the sector, is a fantastic vote of confidence in this new technology.
“By fast-tracking pilots of self-driving vehicles to spring 2026, we are excited to see safety-first tests that will drive growth, create 38,000 jobs and add £42bn to our economy.”
