Next year, a fleet of self-driving Jaguar I-Pace SUVs will start rolling silently through the streets of London, not as posh Chelsea runabouts but as fully autonomous taxis, courtesy of American tech firm Waymo. Backed by the UK government and cheered on by the motoring industry, this pilot marks the country’s boldest leap yet into the driverless future.
Waymo’s no rookie either. The company already has its robo-taxis roaming across six U.S. states, with cars that have collectively clocked up more than 100 million miles. It’s also gone international, recently launching in Japan. Now, with a few British tweaks — likely including a penchant for roundabouts and an innate fear of cyclists — Waymo’s machines are headed for the capital.
The Robot Invasion Begins
London will be the first testing ground, where Waymo’s electric Jaguars will quietly map, learn, and ferry passengers through some of the most chaotic streets this side of Mumbai. It’s part of a new government-backed framework that allows companies to run autonomous services before personal driverless cars become legal — currently pencilled in for 2027.
In other words, while you still can’t legally let your Tesla drive you to Tesco, you can soon hail a taxi that does exactly that.
And Waymo won’t be alone. Uber, clearly not wanting to be outgunned by Silicon Valley rivals, has confirmed its own driverless trials will begin next spring — in collaboration with British AI mapping firm Wayve. Because nothing says “trust us” quite like the combined forces of a taxi giant and a startup run by machine learning PhDs.
The Government’s Grand Vision
UK Transport Minister Heidi Alexander is understandably chuffed. She calls the move “cutting-edge investment” that will make Britain a “world leader in new technology.” Lofty words, but not without merit — the UK’s regulatory framework for autonomous driving is among the most advanced globally, and this pilot could finally bring some Silicon Roundabout sparkle to Britain’s roads.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has even dubbed the project a “landmark moment.” Its chief, Mike Hawes, hailed it as proof that Britain’s ambition is translating into a “social and mobility revolution.”
Translation: if all goes to plan, you might one day flag down a taxi that never misses a turn, never gets distracted, and — crucially — never asks if you’ve “got any cash, mate.”
Why It Might Actually Work
Waymo insists this isn’t just a publicity stunt. The company already has engineering hubs in London and Oxford, and it claims the project will support the capital’s transport goals — namely, reducing collisions and improving accessibility.
“We’re making roads safer and transportation more accessible where we operate,” says Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo’s co-CEO. The firm argues that removing the human from the driving equation could drastically improve safety — a point backed by Road Safety GB director James Gibson, who puts it bluntly: “Autonomous vehicles hold the potential to significantly improve road safety because, quite simply, the human driver is removed.”
Ouch. Sorry, Clarkson.
But Let’s Be Honest…
Of course, we’ve heard the promises before. Nissan’s been running autonomous Leafs around UK roads for years, claiming to have brought driverless tech “one step closer to reality.” And yet, the reality is still full of messy edge cases — rogue delivery vans, double-parked Range Rovers, and pedestrians who think zebra crossings are optional.
Still, there’s something undeniably exciting about the idea. For all our British cynicism, seeing a Waymo silently glide down Oxford Street — steering itself, watching every cyclist, never missing a green light — might just be one of those moments where you realize: the future’s arrived, and it doesn’t need a steering wheel.
So, next year, when a driverless Jaguar pulls up outside your flat and flashes its lights, don’t panic. Just get in, sit back, and let the car do what it was built for — everything.
Source: Autocar