Trailblazing transportation company, Uber, has transformed the way that we travel over the past 15 years. But it seems as though the revolutionary ride-hailing app isn’t yet out of ideas when it comes to innovate ways to whizz us around the city. Because they’ve teamed up with AI firm, Wayve, and are planning to launch London’s first driverless taxis in the coming months.
Next year, the government’s Automated Vehicles Act of 2024 will officially come into effect – meaning that self-driving taxis will be allowed to roam freely through London without supervision. Several companies have thrown their hat into the ring for the race to become the first to offer these driverless cabs. And it seems as though Uber and Wayve have taken a rather substantial lead.
Kaity Fischer, who heads up Wayve’s robotaxi operatons, recently said: “We’re ready to go, and can’t wait to get the public into our vehicles to experience Wayve technology first hand”. So, here’s everything we know so far.
How will Uber’s driverless taxis work?
Due to the current legal restrictions, Uber and Wayve’s driverless taxis will be supervised by a licensed (and human) operator to begin with. The cutting-edge cars will boast six cameras, a radar, and an AI computer in the boot; giving them full 360-degree visibility at all times. The vehicles know their way around the city’s streets thanks to HD maps, hand-coded rules, and geofenced domains. Yep, I have no idea what half of those things mean, either – but the technology has supposedly been being tested since 2018, so I guess we’ll just have to take their word for it…
When will Uber’s driverless taxis be available in London?
No specific launch date has been confirmed yet, but Uber has revealed that the vehicles will be ready to hit the road ‘in the coming months’. They’ve launched an ‘interest list’ for anybody that fancies taking one of the first driverless taxi rides. Brits can sign up to the list to be the first to receive updates and be given the chance to try out the robo-taxis ahead of the general public.
The driverless cabs are set to cost the same as a regular journey on Uber. And – of course – if you’re not too fond of the prospect of a self-driving car, if you are assigned one on the app, you’ll be able to request a regular (human-driven) ride instead.
Find out more about Uber’s driverless taxis and sign up to the ‘interest list’ here.
