Published 8 hours ago • loading... • Updated 8 hours ago

Robotaxis are coming to London. The city’s famed black cab drivers are skeptical

U.K. government will launch government-backed robotaxi trials this spring in London, involving Wayve Technologies, Waymo and Baidu as part of Britain’s push for self-driving vehicle rules.
Policy momentum and industry claims drove the decision to pilot robotaxis, as Britain seeks to lead in self-driving technology and experts say robotaxi companies could fill public-transport gaps, serving villages that lost bus services, Kevin Vincent said.
Wayve’s test vehicles demonstrated automated driving on a three-mile loop in North London with human backup drivers ready to intervene, using machine-learning systems trained on millions of hours of driving data.
Black cab drivers remain skeptical and have a history of opposing disruptive apps like Uber, with Steven McNamara calling self-driving taxis 'a solution looking for a problem' and Frank O'Beirne saying human drivers remain needed.
Waymo plans to launch a London passenger service by the third quarter of 2026, saying fares will be competitive while Baidu teams with Uber and Lyft in the pilot.

Insights by Ground AI

15 Articles

The Trentonian

+14 Reposted by 14 other sources

Center

Robotaxis are coming to London. The city’s famed black cab drivers are skeptical

By KELVIN CHAN, AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — The Ford Mustang Mach-E cruises down a London road choked with traffic, using its onboard AI system to avoid jaywalkers and cyclists, and navigate roadwork as it drives to its destination. The autonomous vehicle from British startup Wayve Technologies is on a test run ahead of the U.K. government’s robotaxi trials set to launch in the spring. Tech companies including U.S. company Waymo and China’s…

8 hours ago

Read Full Article

Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/year