Revolutionary ride-hailing app, Uber, has utterly transformed the way in which we travel over the past 15 years or so. But it seems as though the trailblazing transportation company has still got some tricks up it sleeve when it comes to finding innovative ways to whizz us around. Because they’ve teamed up with AI firm, Wayve, to create the UK’s first driverless taxis – and today, the cutting-edge cabs have officially hit the streets of our city.
A fleet of 15 autonomous vehicles have been licensed and launched in London today (September 3). The robotaxis in question are electric Ford Mustangs, and each of them has been fitted with Wayve’s advanced driverless car technology, which uses AI to analyse what’s going on around the vehicle in real time.
For now, each of these driverless taxis require a licensed human safety operator to sit behind the wheel, ready to intervene if needs be. But next year, the government’s Automated Vehicles Act of 2024 will come into effect, meaning that – once the national regulatory framework has been developed – autonomous vehicles will be allowed to roam freely in the UK, without human supervision.
A ride in one of Uber’s driverless taxis currently costs the same as a standard Uber journey, and can be booked via the app. The option of a robotaxi will only show once a ride has been booked – and only if there is one nearby. Seeing as there are currently only 15 of these autonomous vehicles roaming around the capital city, the chances of you being in the vicinity of one of them is fairly slim. But you never know, hey? And Uber has confirmed that there are plans to roll out more of the self-driving cabs in due course.
Of course, if you’re not particularly fond of the prospect of a self-driving car, you can request a regular (human-driven) ride in stead. Sarfraz Maredia, global head of autonomous mobility and deliver at Uber, said: “We always want customers to be able to request a human ride or an autonomous vehicle, and because the market’s growing, we expect that there will be human drivers on Uber London for a long time to come.”
