Uber and Wayve open user signup for London’s first EV robotaxis

Uber users in the UK’s capital can now join an ‘interest list’ to be among the first to experience Wayve’s autonomous vehicle technology in the country. Pending final government approval, which is expected to be completed in the next few months, the UK will join countries such as the US and China in establishing a commercial robotaxi presence, marking a significant milestone in the country’s push to become a global leader in self-driving technology.

In London, Wayve and Uber are deploying the technology across a fleet of Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUVs. EVs are a natural fit for autonomous applications, with their smooth, linear acceleration and single-speed drivetrains reducing complexity and giving the autonomous systems far more accurate control.

The vehicles have already been spotted undergoing testing in the capital, but at the moment these aren’t available to the public, and have a human at the wheel to intervene if necessary during testing. When this collaboration between Wayve and Uber goes live to the public, it’ll become the first commercial robotaxi service available in the UK.

London’s narrow old streets, many of which were laid out before the invention of the automobile, present a far greater challenge for autonomous vehicles than the typically wide, grid-based road layouts where robotaxis have been trialled in the US. Wayve says it has developed systems specifically designed to meet that challenge, including intelligence that restricts pick-ups and drop-offs to locations deemed ‘safe, legal, and socially responsible’ for other road users. Crucially, the system also operates without geofencing, meaning it can handle any road in London rather than being confined to a pre-approved zone – further increasing its flexibility in the event of road closures or traffic.