Waymo plans robotaxi launch in London, marking its European debut

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, is gearing up to introduce its autonomous ride-hailing services in London, marking its debut in the European market. According to a statement released on Wednesday, the company plans to initiate test drives on the streets of London in the coming months, with trained safety specialists overseeing the operations. The official launch of the robotaxi service is anticipated for next year, contingent on receiving necessary approvals from local and national regulatory bodies. London will become the second city outside the U.S. to host Waymo's services, following the commencement of testing in Tokyo, which began in early 2025. Waymo has been rapidly expanding its presence across various U.S. cities, currently offering commercial services in Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Austin. Future plans include launching robotaxi services in Miami and Washington, D.C. Additionally, Waymo recently secured permits to start testing its autonomous vehicles in New York City with trained safety drivers. In London, the fleet will feature electric Jaguar iPACE vehicles, equipped with Waymo's advanced autonomous driving technology. The company has already established engineering teams in both Oxford and London, and will collaborate with Moove for the operational management of its fleet. Moove specializes in providing vehicle financing and maintenance services for ride-hailing drivers, including those working with Waymo and Uber. Earlier this year, the U.K. government introduced an expedited framework for commercial pilots of autonomous vehicles, aiming to attract investment in self-driving technology. London has also set a “Vision Zero” initiative, targeting the elimination of serious injuries and fatalities in its transport systems by 2041. Waymo's data indicates that its autonomous system experiences five times fewer injury-causing accidents and twelve times fewer pedestrian-related incidents than human drivers. The company boasts over 100 million fully autonomous miles driven on public roads and has provided more than 10 million paid rides to passengers. Part of Alphabet's “Other Bets” segment, Waymo generated $373 million in revenue during the second quarter, although it reported a loss of $1.25 billion. Alphabet is set to release its third-quarter financial results on October 29. Notably, Wayve, a U.K.-based startup backed by SoftBank and Microsoft, has also announced plans to pilot its own robotaxi service in London next year, utilizing a different technology approach focused on camera systems, akin to Tesla's methods.