Overview

• Waymo says it will begin operating its driverless ride service in London next year, with no firm launch date announced.
• Reporting indicates officials may allow test operations from spring 2026, with broader authorization across the UK targeted for 2027 pending approvals.
• Early operations are expected to include trained safety drivers before progressing to fully driverless service once regulatory checks are satisfied.
• The fleet will use modified electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, with preparations underway through a partnership with Moove and hiring around development centers in London and Oxford.
• Waymo cites more than ten million paid rides and over 100 million fully autonomous miles in the U.S., as rivals such as Uber/Wayve, Tesla, and Lyft/Baidu advance their own European robotaxi plans.