Wayve and Uber Launch Supervised Autonomous Ride-Hailing in London
en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 3, Wayve and Uber officially launched supervised autonomous ride-hailing services in London, marking the first time the British public can actually ride in such vehicles through a regular ride-hailing platform. When London users select UberX, Uber Electric, or Uber Comfort in the Uber app, they may be matched with a Wayve vehicle, priced at the standard rate for the corresponding vehicle type with no additional fee for autonomous driving services. Before the vehicle arrives, passengers can accept the match or switch to a regular vehicle.
The initial fleet consists of all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with the Wayve AI Driver and surround sensors. The vehicles feature an interactive screen designed by Uber that supports 64 languages, allowing passengers to start trips and view the vehicle's planned route, while vehicle unlocking and trip operations can be completed directly through the Uber app. At this stage, service coverage extends across London, excluding airports.
This launch remains within the supervised autonomous driving phase. Each operational vehicle is staffed with a trained driver holding a Transport for London Private Hire Vehicle license who supervises the trip from inside the vehicle. Operating information released by Uber shows that the service is available seven days a week, with each vehicle carrying up to four passengers in addition to the driver's seat.
Transport for London has previously granted Private Hire Vehicle licenses to a portion of Wayve's all-electric Mustang Mach-E vehicles, which underwent relevant policy and safety standard inspections before receiving licenses. Information released by the London Assembly Transport Committee on August 5 shows that the approved pilot scope is up to 15 vehicles with a one-year pilot period; the September launch marks the transition to actual passenger-carrying operations under this license, and licensed drivers have not yet been removed.
Wayve and Uber stated that they will initially deploy a small number of vehicles and gradually increase them based on passenger demand, system readiness, and regulatory requirements. As of the service launch, more than 140,000 London users had selected an autonomous vehicle preference in the Uber app. The two companies' previous partnership arrangement covers 12 markets, with London being the first city to go live; under current plans, the Wayve AI Driver will also be deployed in Tokyo later this year on Nissan LEAF vehicles built on the NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion platform.
This launch is part of the Uber-Wayve partnership, which includes an investment to bring Wayve-driven vehicles to the Uber network across 12 global markets, with London as the first stop. Wayve's autonomous driving technology is not dependent on specific vehicle platforms or sensor configurations, offering potential for rapid scaling. As part of the subsequent rollout, the two companies will also offer passengers the Nissan LEAF model, which features the Wayve AI Driver built on the NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion platform, with deployment beginning in the Tokyo market later this year.
