On September 3, 2026, Uber and the British startup Wayve began offering autonomous rides in London. They call these “supervised autonomous rides.” A trained private hire driver licensed by Transport for London (TfL) sits in each car to oversee the trip and take over if needed. This is not a driverless taxi service.
How the London service works
The vehicles are all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E cars fitted with the Wayve AI Driver, cameras and additional sensors. The companies say only a small number are on the road, and neither has given a count. Riders who request UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort may be matched with a Wayve car. Trips can go anywhere in London except airports. Riders can opt in through Trip Preferences in the app’s settings to improve their chances of a match, and can switch to a non-autonomous ride before the car arrives. The companies say the rides carry no extra charge.
TfL granted private hire licences to a number of the vehicles on August 5, 2026, after inspecting them against its policy and safety standards. The trips run under the UK government’s AV Trialling Code of Practice and Uber’s TfL operator licence.
Wayve CEO Alex Kendall said Wayve is proud to introduce its AI Driver to the public for the first time in London. UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander called it a major milestone for the future of transport in London.
Works well, and be careful
| Works well | Be careful |
|---|---|
| A TfL-licensed driver is on board and can take over. | Fully driverless operation in London needs further approvals. Electrive reports no date has been set. |
| The companies say there is no extra charge, and you can switch to a non-autonomous ride before the car arrives. | Fleet size is undisclosed, and a match is not guaranteed. Trips exclude airports. |
| TfL licensed the vehicles on August 5, 2026 after inspecting them against its standards. | No safety data for the Wayve system in London has been published in the sources we opened. |
| More than 100,000 Londoners joined Uber’s interest list in the eight weeks before the August licensing announcement, and more than 140,000 had opted in through Trip Preferences by launch, per the companies. | Interest is not the same as rides taken. The GMB union says it is premature to move to “driverless” services and wants a plan protecting drivers first. |
The verdict: a cautious first step. It gives London riders a way to try the technology with a professional behind the wheel, but nothing launched shows that it saves money, cuts crashes or cleans up streets. No launch source supports claims about lower fares, fewer crashes or cleaner streets, so treat those as unproven. The GMB has asked TfL and the government for that driver-protection plan before any move to “driverless.”
Why It Matters to You
If you ride Uber in London, you can try a supervised autonomous ride today, at no extra charge according to the companies, by opting in under Trip Preferences and requesting UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort. It’s limited: a small fleet, no airport trips, and no guarantee of a match. If you’re a driver, or know one, the GMB’s call for protections shows where the argument is headed. Outside London, nothing changes yet.
What comes next
London is the first of 12 planned markets for Wayve vehicles on the Uber network. A Tokyo pilot with Nissan is planned for late 2026, with a safety operator aboard. Uber says it is growing its fleet in line with rider demand, readiness and regulation.
Quick answers
Is there a driver in the car? Yes. A TfL-licensed private hire driver rides in each car and can take over.
How do I get a Wayve car? Request UberX, Uber Electric or Uber Comfort and turn on the autonomous option in Trip Preferences. A match is not guaranteed.
Does it cost more, and can I ride to the airport? The companies say there is no extra charge, and upfront fares show in the app. Trips go anywhere in London except airports.
Sources
- Electrive: Wayve and Uber launch autonomous rides in London (Sep 3, 2026)
- Unite.AI: Supervised Autonomous Rides Arrive in London Through Uber-Wayve Partnership (Sep 2, 2026)
- Fleet News: UK’s first autonomous ride-hailing service launches (accessed Oct 13, 2026)