Look out London: Waymo to launch driverless taxis in a matter of months
Waymo’s fleet of self-driving Jaguar I-Pace taxis could launch a full service as soon as September
Google is set to launch a full driverless taxi service in London by September of this year, the firm has announced.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent firm, Alphabet, will begin pilot testing in the UK of its self-driving taxis in April. However, attending an event at the London Transport Museum, Waymo confirmed that it hopes to be operating a full service as soon as September, subject to a change in the law by the UK Government, which is expected to take place in the second half of the year.
"We're supporting Waymo and other operators through our passenger pilots, and pro-innovation regulations to make self-driving cars a reality on British roads.” said Local Transport Minister, Lillian Greenwood MP, who also attended the event.
Waymo currently operates its fleet of autonomous Jaguar I-Paces in several cities across the US including Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, as well as in Tokyo, Japan. The cars can currently be found mapping London streets with a safety driver behind the wheel, however Waymo’s taxis will operate fully autonomously after their full introduction. However, the service does employ a team of so-called ‘Fleet Response’ operators, who can remotely control the vehicle in overly complex situations.
Regardless, Londoners will eventually be able to request a ride via the Waymo app. Inside the car, there’s a screen that will not only display safety videos, but also give updates on the car’s movements and allow the passengers to control the radio and air-conditioning.
Following the brand’s initial announcement of its entry into the UK market, Waymo’s co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, described how it is endeavouring to “mak[e] roads safer and transportation more accessible where we operate. We’ve demonstrated how to responsibly scale fully autonomous ride-hailing, and we can’t wait to expand the benefits of our technology to the United Kingdom.”
Originally published by the previous Conservative administration under Rishi Sunak, the UK’s Automated Vehicles Act will see a variety of automated-ride pilot schemes – not just Waymo – commence during the first half of this year. It will also further differentiate between driver-assistance features such as adaptive cruise control or lane centering, and fully autonomous systems, with the burden of liability for the latter placed on the ride operator, rather than the passenger.
In an attempt to dispel any public concerns, Greenwood said: “Every self-driving vehicle deployed on our roads must meet strict safety and security standards, including protection from hacking and cyber threats.”
There is no confirmed start date for Waymo’s services in the UK. However, the brand’s arrival on this side of the Atlantic will likely coincide with the launch of Tesla’s Robotaxi service, which uses modified versions of the Model Y family SUV, as well as offerings from Lyft and Uber, with both firms already having made clear their intentions to enter the UK market.
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