Waymo to launch driverless rides in London in 2026 with safety drivers

Waymo, the Alphabet-owned robotaxi company, said Wednesday it will launch a commercial driverless ridehailing service in London in 2026, and will begin road testing its all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles with human safety drivers in the coming weeks. The company said it is working with local and national regulators and a fleet partner, Moove, to prepare for the rollout and to secure the permissions needed to transition from supervised testing to paid, fully autonomous rides next year.

Waymo plans to start with safety drivers behind the wheel as it has in other markets, then move to driverless operations once the United Kingdom finalizes rules and grant approvals. The government has accelerated a pilot scheme that will allow small-scale autonomous taxi and bus services with passengers beginning in spring 2026, while a wider regulatory framework under the Automated Vehicles Act is expected to come into full effect in the second half of 2027. Transport for London will also apply licensing and operational requirements for services on the capital’s streets.

Waymo has positioned London as its first European commercial market following testing in Tokyo. The company currently operates...