Overview
- Wayve and Uber began offering supervised robotaxi rides in London on Thursday, Sept. 3, with a fleet of fewer than 20 Wayve‑powered Ford Mustang Mach‑E electric vehicles.
- Each trip has a Transport for London‑licensed safety driver in the front seat who monitors the ride and can take control if needed during this initial phase.
- Uber riders ordering UberX, Uber Comfort or Uber Electric may be matched with a Wayve vehicle at no extra cost and can accept or reject the match before the car arrives.
- Full driverless service still requires national approvals, including vehicle registration and permits from agencies such as the Vehicle Certification Agency and the DVSA, which have not yet been completed.
- Wayve’s AV2.0 uses a single learned AI driver that avoids HD maps and lidar, allowing city‑wide operation rather than tight geofences, but the rollout remains tiny compared with London’s taxi market and raises questions about jobs, safety and competition from rivals like Waymo.