Uber and AI firm Wayve have launched "driverless" taxi rides in London, marking the first time such a service has been available to book in the UK. Riders can request an UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort and opt to be matched with a Wayve vehicle at no extra cost, with the fare shown upfront in the app. The cars are not yet fully autonomous, as a safety supervisor remains in the driver's seat with hands hovering near the wheel, but the launch signals a significant step towards self-driving taxis becoming mainstream on British roads.

Riders matched with a Wayve car travel in an all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E fitted with the Wayve AI Driver system and surround sensors, identifiable by a camera bar on the roof and Wayve markers on the bodywork. The Uber-designed in-car experience includes interactive screens available in 64 languages, allowing passengers to start trips, view the planned route, and adjust temperature and music. A Daily Mail journalist who took an early ride described the self-steering wheel as "unsettling" at first but "incredibly cool", praising the smoothness of the drive through central London's typically stop-start traffic.