Waymo’s Driverless Taxis Are Landing in London

Driverless taxi company Waymo has announced that it is coming to London in 2026.

This is Waymo’s second launch outside of the US, with the company already testing their “robo-taxis” in Tokyo.

But according to WIRED, London could be the company’s biggest challenge yet, due to the city’s winding and narrow roads. As London is much older than many US cities, the company has said that it might take a little more testing.

So what does this mean? Well, Londoners might be able to hail down driverless taxis as early as next year.

The Rise of Waymo

Founded in 2009 as the ‘Google Self-Driving Project’, Waymo has grown into one of the world’s most well-known autonomous driving companies.

It’s currently deployed in 5 cities across the US, including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta.

According to Waymo, their cars have driven over 100 million autonomous miles and completed more than 10 million paid rides. When it comes to safety, they have a good track record too, with their vehicles involved in five times fewer injury-causing crashes than human drivers.

Through a mix of cameras, radar, sensors and AI, Waymo’s fleet is designed to drive safely, even in the dark or in bad weather.

Partnering with London Operators

In a note on their website, Waymo announced that it will partner with it fleet operations partner Moove, who will help manage, charge, and maintain its vehicles in London.

The cars themselves will be all-electric Jaguar Land Rover I-PACEs, which are the same vehicles that are used in the US and Tokyo.

Early on in the statement, Waymo said that they are excited to support London’s network of buses, tubes, bikes, and pedestrian networks, rather than replace them. What Waymo is panning to offer is a safer and more reliable way to travel around the city.

A Wave Of Government Support

Waymo is working closely with both the Department for Transport (DfT) and Transport for London (TfL) to make sure they have all the permissions they need to operate fully autonomous rides by 2026.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander welcomed the announcement, commenting in The Guardian: “Boosting the AV [autonomous vehicle] sector will increase accessible transport options alongside bringing jobs, investment and opportunities to the UK. Cutting-edge investment like this will help us deliver our mission to be world leaders in new technology and spearhead national renewal.”

According to The Guardian, a bigger rollout of autonomous taxis is expected in the UK once the Automated Vehicles Act comes into effect in late 2027.

What Will Happen To London’s Black Cabs?

Synonymous with London are its iconic black cabs, driven by those who master London’s streets by memory and are known for their reliability.

Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, dismissed the service as “a novelty” and “a gimmick.”

“Who needs a driverless cab?” he told Sky News. “I don’t think Londoners will trust them, let alone put their kids in one to go to school.”

And he might be right. In one of Europe’s oldest cities – where roads weren’t built with modern mobility in mind, it will be interesting to see if tech, and consumer attitudes, can adapt.

Are Driverless Cars Actually That Safe?

Unsurprisingly, safety is one of the biggest question marks hanging over driverless cars – and it’s something that Waymo is addressing head-on.

And it hasn’t been helped by a number of incidents in the US, which have seen Waymo cars make illegal U-turns or become confused on the road. And whilst none of those have ended in injury, they do raise questions about how good autonomous vehicles are at navigating complicated cities.

Waymo however, makes clear that safety is not a concern. According to its own data, their vehicles been involved in five times fewer collisions that cause injury.

As James Gibson, Executive Director of Road Safety GB puts it: “Autonomous vehicles, such as Waymo, hold the potential to significantly improve road safety because, quite simply, the human driver is removed.”

The (Winding) Road Ahead For Waymo

Waymo’s launch in London isn’t just about transport, it’s about testing whether one of the world’s most iconic cities can embrace automation.

With net zero targets to reach, a rising cost of living and government road safety targets to hit, it will be interesting to see if the UK embraces Waymo as much as the US.

And who knows, if it’s successful, Waymo might soon expand across Europe. So, is the future of Europe driverless? We wait and see…