Some Uber users in London can now get a Wayve self-driving car. A trained driver stays inside and can take control if needed.
New to this? Read it in simple words
- Uber and Wayve started a self-driving car service in London on September 3. Some Uber riders may get a Wayve car at the same price.
- A licensed safety driver stays inside and can take control. The Guardian reported only 15 cars had approval at launch.
- London is a difficult test, with heavy traffic, narrow roads and frequent road work. With a human inside, the service does not yet save driver costs.
- Wayve needs separate approval before it can remove the safety driver. It is not yet known how often the safety driver takes control.
- Robotaxi
- A taxi that drives itself, without a human driver.
- Safety driver
- A trained person who sits in a self-driving car and can take control.
How the service works today
Uber and Wayve started the service on September 3. A person who asks for UberX, Uber Electric, or Uber Comfort may receive an electric Ford Mustang Mach-E with Wayve’s driving system. The price stays the same, and the rider can choose a normal car instead.
The cars can work across London but not at airports. A trained driver approved by Transport for London watches every trip. The Guardian reported that only 15 vehicles had approval at launch, so most riders will still get a normal car.
The service uses Wayve’s AI Driver, a licensed safety driver, rider permission, and a small test fleet.
Why London is a difficult test
London has heavy traffic, narrow roads, buses, bicycles, people on foot, and frequent road work. Wayve says its system learns from driving experience instead of depending on a detailed digital map of every street.
The public service also tests more than driving. It tests ride matching, passenger agreement, pick-up behavior, support, insurance, and what happens after a problem. Uber says more than 140,000 Londoners had chosen to join the test before launch.
The human driver is still important
Wayve needs separate approval before it can remove the safety driver. The company says the technology is still improving. A human inside the car also means the service does not yet save the driver cost that robotaxi plans often promise.
Useful future facts will include how often the safety driver takes control, how many riders return, and how the cars work in bad weather and busy areas. The small launch is a useful step, but it is also a live safety test.
Sources
Every fact in this story comes from the sources below. Open them to check our work.
- 1Primary source · September 3, 2026Wayve and Uber launch first-ever autonomous rides in the UK Uber and Wayve
- 2
We checked Uber and Wayve’s announcement against independent reporting about the fleet size, safety driver, and approval process. We always call the service supervised self-driving and do not describe it as fully driverless.