Race for robotaxi market arrives in London

Robotaxis are moving into London as the race for Europe’s emerging autonomy market intensifies, with companies using different approaches to win public trust. UK startup Wayve, partnered with Uber, is launching commercial rides in London this summer with a human operator initially onboard. It is competing against US firm Waymo, which already operates in 11 US cities on pre-mapped routes. Chinese company Baidu, working with ride-hailing partner Lyft, plans tests “in the coming weeks,” with a London launch later this year. London’s roadworks and heavy pedestrian traffic are cited as key operational challenges, with Wayve noting London has 20 times the road construction of San Francisco. Pricing is expected to be “pretty similar” to traditional taxis at launch, while recent global mishaps have raised safety scrutiny across the sector.