Uber opened an interest list in the UK on June 8 for riders who want a better chance of being matched with a Wayve autonomous vehicle in London, ahead of a planned launch in the coming months, pending regulatory approval.

Wayve, a London-based autonomous driving startup, will provide the self-driving system. Uber said matched rides will cost the same as standard trips, riders can switch to a human-driven car, and the service will initially include a human safety operator in the vehicle.

That supervised format reflects current UK trial rules, which require a safety driver or operator during public-road automated vehicle testing, alongside private-hire licensing and coordination with Transport for London and government bodies.

The launch would likely fall under the UK’s self-driving pilot scheme, opened on May 22, which adds safety checks and local consent. A wider rollout under the Automated Vehicles Act is due in the second half of 2027.

For Uber, the London plan extends a broader robotaxi push. The company said it enabled tens of thousands of driverless trips each month through partners worldwide, and invested in Wayve in 2024 as part of a partnership for future deployment on Uber’s app.

🔗 Source: TechCrunch

Recent Uber developments