Uber launches UK's first robotaxis in London with safety drivers on board

Uber has become the first company to launch commercially available self-driving minicabs in the United Kingdom, deploying a small fleet of autonomous vehicles on London streets on Wednesday. The service currently operates 15 Ford Mustang electric vehicles, each fitted with technology developed by British AI firm Wayve, and each required by licence to carry a human safety driver ready to intervene if necessary.

How the technology works

Unlike pre-programmed autonomous systems, the Wayve technology uses artificial intelligence to make real-time decisions based on sensor data gathered by devices mounted on the vehicle's roof and elsewhere. The cars analyse their surroundings continuously rather than following a fixed set of pre-loaded instructions — an approach Wayve chief executive Alex Kendall described as pioneering "a completely new approach to autonomous driving." The fleet rode fares at the same price as standard UberX, Uber Electric, or Uber Comfort trips, with self-driving as an option that appears in the app only after a journey is booked and if a robotaxi is nearby.

The BBC's first test ride

BBC technology editor Zoe Kleinman became the first British journalist to travel as a customer in one of the autonomous Ubers. The journey through central London was largely smooth — navigating traffic lights, roadworks, and even a Brexit demonstration outside Parliament — but the safety driver was required to intervene once, when a van parked alongside the car opened its rear doors unexpectedly.

Competition and growth plans

Over 100,000 London-based Uber customers indicated in a survey they would choose a self-driving taxi if one were available. Uber's global head of autonomous mobility Sarfraz Maredia said the plan was to scale the fleet over several years, stressing that human drivers would remain on the platform "for a long time to come." Waymo and China's Baidu are also preparing to launch autonomous services in the UK, setting the stage for an intense race for the British market.