Uber’s answer to Waymo’s London arrival is already in motion
- Perry Richardson
- 25 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Waymo’s announcement that it plans to launch a fully driverless ride-hailing service in London by 2026 has drawn plenty of attention. It signals a clear move to establish market share early in one of the world’s busiest urban transport networks. But for Uber, this isn’t the start of the race. It’s already underway.
Uber has its own autonomous ambitions firmly in play through a growing partnership with UK-based self-driving technology firm Wayve. Unlike Waymo, which will arrive in London as a new operator, Uber already holds one of the largest shares of the private hire market in the capital. Its strategy now appears focused on embedding automation into that existing network, rather than building a separate service from the ground up.
Wayve, which is developing Level 4 autonomous technology, has already begun trialling its vehicles in London. These early tests aim to fine-tune autonomous systems in the kinds of dense, complex road conditions that define the capital as somewhat unique to others. Uber is more than a commercial partner in this effort. It has made a strategic investment in Wayve, giving it influence over the technology’s development and a stake in its success.
By contrast, Waymo will enter a new market as a standalone operator, working with fleet partner Moove to establish new operations. It plans to deploy its own all-electric Jaguar I-PACEs, already in service in US cities such as Phoenix and San Francisco. Waymo’s technology has not yet been tested publicly in the UK and will still need to navigate Transport for London’s licensing process and any new regulatory frameworks introduced to cover autonomous vehicles.
Where Waymo is aiming to build trust through its US safety data and reputation, Uber can lean on a more established local platform, rider base, and operational scale. If Uber can introduce autonomous vehicles as part of its app experience, it may give users a more seamless path to adoption. A rider won’t need to download a new app or learn a new service model.
The early commercial advantage could be significant. Should Uber successfully deploy autonomous vehicles through Wayve, it can scale in areas where demand is high and where human driver availability has been variable. That could include peak hours, areas with fewer drivers, or high-frequency corridors. The result would be a mixed fleet of human and autonomous drivers working side by side, at least in the short to medium term.
The risks for Uber are different. It will need to manage the reaction from its existing driver workforce. Many drivers are self-employed and may view the rise of autonomous vehicles as a long-term threat to their income. Uber will also be judged on the performance and safety of the Wayve vehicles during trials. Any early incidents could slow deployment or weaken public confidence.
The battle, then, is not just about technology. It’s about who can scale fast in a way that wins trust from both the public and regulators.
