Uber and Wayve have launched supervised autonomous rides in London, making it the first city in the UK where members of the public can book autonomous vehicle journeys.

Passengers requesting an UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort trip in the city may be matched with an autonomous driver, with the option to accept the trip or switch to a conventional ride.

The initial rollout uses 15 supervised autonomous vehicles, with a trained Transport for London-licensed private hire driver remaining onboard to oversee each trip. Uber said every autonomous vehicle operating on its platform must meet its safety guidelines.

The company plans to expand the service gradually in line with customer demand, regulatory developments, and operational readiness.

London-based AI company Wayve has developed and trained its autonomous driving system on the capital's roads since 2018. The company said its AI drivers learn from experience rather than relying on high-definition maps or hand-coded driving rules, enabling them to adapt to complex urban environments.

Uber is also encouraging customers who want to try the service to opt into autonomous vehicle matching through the ride preferences section of the Uber app. According to the company, more than 140,000 London users have already registered their interest.

Uber first announced trials of fully autonomous vehicles on public roads in London in June last year. The trial was the first of its kind in London.

Wavye has worked with Uber since September 2024, when Uber invested an undisclosed amount in the technology company. Wayve was founded in 2017 and has raised approximately $1.3 billion across three funding rounds.

Several other companies are working to launch autonomous vehicle ridesharing in London, with US giants Lyft and Waymo both operating pilots this year with the aim of launching in 2026 or 2027.

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