Overview

• Waymo announced plans to begin operating fully driverless rides in London in 2026, saying it will pursue required permissions and has not set a firm start date.
• The company is in discussions with London transport authorities, and The Telegraph reports regulators could allow a pilot next spring with broader approval targeted for 2027.
• Waymo plans to deploy autonomous Jaguar I‑Pace vehicles in the capital and is preparing the rollout with mobility partner Moove, supported by existing development hubs in London and Oxford.
• In the United States, Waymo reports more than ten million paid rides, roughly 250,000 weekly trips, and over 100 million fully autonomous miles, and it is testing in Tokyo to gain left‑hand driving experience.
• Rivals are moving on European entries as Uber teams with Wayve in London, Lyft plans to bring Baidu’s Apollo Go to Europe pending approvals, and Tesla runs a camera‑only robotaxi test in Austin using modified Model Y vehicles.