Uber launches a waitlist in London for Wayve's robotaxi service.

      London’s era of robotaxis is commencing with a sign-up form. Uber has launched a waitlist for residents of London interested in riding in a self-driving vehicle, marking a clear indication that driverless taxis are set to hit the city’s roads.

      The rides will be facilitated by Wayve, a self-driving startup based in London, through a partnership in which Uber manages the fleet while Wayve provides the "AI Driver" responsible for the driving. The waitlist, as reported by Bloomberg, has been introduced ahead of a commercial trial that the two companies plan to begin in London in 2026.

      The timing is intentional. The UK has expedited regulations for commercial self-driving trials, with the Department for Transport advancing a permitting framework that permits driverless taxi and bus services to operate without a safety driver present.

      Uber and Wayve intend to deploy SAE Level 4 vehicles, where a car can manage all operations within a specified area without human intervention.

      Wayve is recognized as one of Europe’s most valuable AI startups, having secured $1.2 billion last year in a funding round that it has since expanded, with investors that include Uber, SoftBank, Nvidia, and more recently AMD, Arm, and Qualcomm. Its approach to autonomy is more general and learning-based compared to the extensively mapped systems used by some competitors, a concept its founders from Cambridge were initially told would not succeed.

      However, Wayve will not be the only competitor in London. Waymo, Alphabet’s robotaxi division, is planning to introduce a passenger service in the city by the third quarter of 2026 and has indicated that its vehicles may operate without a driver from the outset. Uber is also diversifying its partnerships across various cities, having already partnered with Wayve and Nissan in Tokyo, as well as WeRide in Madrid for robotaxi initiatives.

      Not everyone is optimistic about this development. The black-cab drivers in London, who have relied on their comprehensive “Knowledge” of the city’s roads for over a century, are doubtful about vehicles that learn driving from data. Their concern is a common one among taxi drivers facing the emergence of robotaxis: that an algorithm capable of operating continuously alters the economic landscape of the job nearly overnight.

      For Uber, the waitlist also serves as an indicator of demand as well as a marketing tool. The company reported that autonomous trips increased tenfold year on year in its latest quarter, and London is one of its most lucrative markets. Whether riders will accept a vehicle that drives itself in a city known for its challenging roads for newcomers is the challenge that begins now.