Wayve, Uber and Nissan join PAVE UK as self-driving vehicle rollout gathers pace
- Perry Richardson
- Jun 4
- 2 min read
Wayve, Uber and Nissan have become the first industry members of Partners for Automated Vehicle Education United Kingdom (PAVE UK), joining a programme designed to support public understanding and acceptance of self-driving vehicle technology ahead of wider deployment across the UK.
The announcement comes as autonomous vehicle development accelerates following the passage of the UK’s automated vehicle legislation, with Wayve and Uber planning to deploy autonomous vehicles in London later this year as part of an initial trial programme. The trial is expected to play a key role in increasing public awareness and engagement around the technology.
PAVE UK was established in 2024 as the UK’s first dedicated initiative focused on public education and engagement relating to self-driving vehicles. The organisation was co-founded by the Department for Transport, the Department for Business and Trade, the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), Transport for West Midlands and Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick.
Since its launch, PAVE UK says it has engaged with more than 20,000 members of the public through evidence-based educational programmes, interactive activities and a virtual reality self-driving vehicle experience. The organisation’s work focuses on helping the public understand both the benefits and limitations of automated driving technology.
New partnership aims to build public understanding and trust ahead of planned autonomous vehicle trials in London later this year.
The addition of Wayve, Uber and Nissan marks a significant step in bringing vehicle manufacturers, technology developers and mobility platforms into a structured public engagement framework. PAVE UK said the partnership will support the development of principles for responsible autonomous vehicle deployment, including consideration of safety operators during initial testing phases.
Professor Siddartha Khastgir, Director of PAVE UK and Head of Safe Autonomy at WMG, University of Warwick, said: “At PAVE UK, we believe the public must be at the heart of self-driving technology development. This technology will succeed and fully achieve its societal outcomes of serving the mobility needs of the cities, improving safety and accessibility, only when the public trusts and accepts it.”
Khastgir added: “We are proud to welcome Wayve, Nissan UK and Uber as the new PAVE UK members. Through this significant partnership, we will open the floor for two-way conversations with the public, bridging the communication gap between the technology and the general public. This demonstrates our collective commitment to enabling safer, publicly endorsed self-driving technology in the UK.”
Alex Zelubowski, UK Head of Autonomous Mobility Operations, said: “At Uber, safety is front and centre of everything we do. Communities and cities have to be part of the conversation from the start if we’re going to realise the long-term benefits of autonomous technology. This collaboration with PAVE UK is an important step in bringing AVs to London’s streets safely and responsibly.”
The planned London trials will provide one of the most significant tests yet of how UK consumers respond to self-driving technology in real-world transport environments. The findings from those deployments, alongside PAVE UK’s public engagement work, could help shape future regulatory approaches and wider commercial rollout strategies across the country.
