LONDON: Wayve and Uber Technologies Inc. announced plans Tuesday to develop and test Level 4 autonomous vehicles on public roads in London, marking the largest market where Uber has proposed such a pilot.
The collaboration combines Wayve’s AI-driven autonomous vehicle platform with Uber’s global ride-hailing network, advancing efforts to deploy self-driving cars at scale in Europe. The trials, enabled by new U.K. government regulations for commercial self-driving pilots, aim to begin by spring 2026.
The U.K. transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, called the partnership a “fantastic vote of confidence” in the technology, which is projected to create 38,000 jobs and contribute £42 billion ($53 billion) to the economy.
Unlike most autonomous vehicle testing, which has focused on U.S. cities, London’s complex road layouts and traffic laws present a new challenge for self-driving systems. Lessons from the trials could help expand the technology worldwide.
“This is a defining moment for U.K. autonomy,” said Alex Kendall, CEO of Wayve. The company’s “AV2.0” system, which uses AI to adapt to unfamiliar roads without relying on pre-mapped routes, recently completed a 90-city global test drive.
Uber’s chief operating officer, Andrew Macdonald, said the partnership brings the company closer to offering autonomous rides as a “safe and reliable option” worldwide.
Further details, including the vehicle manufacturer and trial timeline, will be released later this year.