The technology\u2019s arrival in one of the world\u2019s largest cities is an important step for the autonomous vehicle industry. Driverless cars are already common sights in cities such as San Francisco, Beijing and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, but acceptance has been slower in European cities, where the driving environment can be complex and regulation is stiff.<\/p>\n
![\"Regulatory](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/THHWUQJT3XBQCSZZU36SOKZDJ4.jpg\")
Regulatory agency Transport for London said it would ‘closely monitor’ robotaxis and ‘take immediate action if passenger safety is compromised’. Photograph: Andrew Testa\/New York Times <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is one milestone in a continuing long journey,\u201d Alex Kendall, chief executive of Wayve, said in an interview while riding in the back seat of one of his company\u2019s autonomous vehicles in London.<\/p>\n
[\u00a0Big reduction in costs could see explosion of robot car servicesOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Kendall declined to estimate when British regulators would authorise a wider deployment of the technology across London roads, but analysts have said it may not be until 2027 or even 2028.<\/p>\n In the meantime, companies are already preparing for London, one of the world\u2019s largest ride-hailing markets, to be a large battleground for autonomous vehicles. It is pitting American, European and Chinese technology against one another. <\/p>\n Waymo, the service operated by Alphabet<\/a>, is testing its vehicles in London without passengers. Baidu, the Chinese technology giant, has similar early tests under way with Freenow<\/a>, a European division of Lyft<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ordering an autonomous taxi in London will work similarly to hailing an Uber. If one of the testing cars is available when customers make an order, the app will ask if they would like to take a robotaxi for about the same price. If they decline, Uber will send a car with a driver.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, one of Wayve\u2019s Ford<\/a> Mustang Mach-E cars wound though London, navigating past Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. At each turn, through pedestrian crossings and construction zones, a driver\u2019s hands stayed rested on his lap as the steering wheel moved itself.<\/p>\n Shihao Fu, a senior technology analyst for the market research firm IDTechEx, said regulators were taking a cautious approach because of the safety risks, as well as political considerations. London has more than 120,000 taxi and private for-hire drivers, and \u201cthere\u2019s a real question about what large-scale automation could mean for those jobs,\u201d Fu said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe politics can definitely affect the speed of deployment even if the technology is ready,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Uber is pouring more resources into autonomous vehicles even as it cuts costs elsewhere. On Wednesday, the company said it was firing about 3,300 workers, or about 10 per cent of the staff, to reallocate spending. The company plans to have robotaxis in 15 cities globally by the end of the year amid competition with Waymo, Tesla<\/a> and others.<\/p>\n [\u00a0Tesla boosts spending plan to $25bn in AI, robotics pushOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Growth of the robotaxi industry risks getting caught up in wider public backlash against artificial intelligence<\/a>. In New York, governor Kathy Hochul in February dialled back plans to allow robotaxi services outside New York City amid blowback from taxi drivers. Driver groups in London have raised similar concerns.<\/p>\n Phil Farrelly, who drives a black cab that was parked outside Westminster Abbey, said that after his encounters with autonomous vehicles on London roads he was not too worried about his job being automated. To obtain a London black cab licence, drivers must pass a gruelling test known as the Knowledge, which involves essentially memorising more than 100 square miles of city streets.<\/p>\n Two weeks ago, Farrelly said, he turned into a traffic jam near Tower Bridge that started because two autonomous vehicles had come face to face on a one-lane road, neither able to navigate out of it until the safety drivers took over.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019ll probably work in some bigger cities in the States, but I just can\u2019t see it in London,\u201d he said. He added: \u201cIt will be a novelty.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/A7S7X5QLPJE73A77GCWMDTU4CU.jpg\")
An autonomous car parks on a street in London. Photograph: Andrew Testa\/New York Times<\/p>\n