Waymo to launch fully driverless ride-hailing service in London by 2026
- Perry Richardson
- Oct 15
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 23
Autonomous vehicle firm Waymo has announced plans to bring its driverless ride-hailing service to London by 2026, marking a significant shift in the UK capital’s mobility landscape.
The Google-backed company revealed that its fully autonomous vehicles, which operate without a safety driver, will be available to book via the Waymo app once regulatory approvals are in place. Waymo says the move will complement London’s existing transport networks, including the Tube, buses, walking and cycling routes.
Waymo has selected mobility operator Moove as its local fleet partner. Moove will support the rollout and day-to-day operations of the service in London, drawing on its existing experience in the city’s private hire market.
Ladi Delano, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Moove, said: “We’re excited by a future where Waymo’s safe and reliable autonomous technology is available in London, transforming how the capital moves. This partnership represents a major step forward for urban mobility.”
Waymo is already active in parts of the US, including Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles, where its autonomous vehicles have collectively driven over 100 million miles without a human at the wheel and completed more than 10 million paid rides. The cars used in these services include all-electric Jaguar I-PACEs, produced by British manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover. The same vehicles will be deployed in London.
The company claims that its autonomous technology results in five times fewer injury-related collisions, and twelve times fewer pedestrian-related injury incidents, compared to human drivers. These claims are likely to be of interest to Transport for London (TfL) and City Hall, which are targeting major reductions in serious and fatal injuries as part of their Vision Zero strategy.
The initial rollout will involve building operational infrastructure, ongoing discussions with both local and national authorities, and ensuring the technology meets UK safety and regulatory requirements.
Waymo’s international engineering hubs are already based in London and Oxford, with teams working on simulation and development of autonomous systems. The firm is also testing vehicles in Tokyo, in partnership with the same Jaguar platform.
While the announcement marks an ambitious timeline, no exact deployment areas within London have been confirmed. The company has yet to disclose whether it will pursue a private hire operator licence or a new regulatory pathway altogether. A significant level of engagement with TfL and government bodies is expected in the lead-up to launch.
