Waymo to Launch Robotaxi Service in London, Marking European Debut

Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous driving arm, is escalating its global ambitions by introducing its driverless ride-hailing service to London. This marks Waymo’s first foray into the European market and signifies a crucial step in the company’s international expansion strategy.

The company announced plans to initiate test drives in London within the coming months, emphasizing the presence of human safety specialists during initial operations. Waymo anticipates launching its commercial robotaxi service in 2026, pending regulatory approvals from both local and national authorities.

London will be Waymo’s second international city, following Tokyo, where testing commenced earlier this year. This global expansion complements Waymo’s aggressive growth within the United States, where it currently offers commercial services in key metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Austin, Texas. Furthermore, Waymo has unveiled plans to extend its robotaxi services to Miami and Washington, D.C., alongside ongoing testing with safety drivers in New York City.

In London, Waymo’s fleet will feature Jaguar I-PACE electric vehicles, integrated with Waymo’s advanced autonomous driving systems. To support its London operations, Waymo is collaborating with Moove, a vehicle financing and fleet management services provider. Moove will oversee vehicle operations and maintenance, including cleaning, select repairs, and electric vehicle charging.

The U.K. government recently outlined an accelerated framework for autonomous vehicle (AV) commercial pilots, designed to stimulate investment in the region. London has also committed to a “Vision Zero” initiative, aiming to eliminate all serious transportation-related injuries and deaths by 2041.

Waymo highlights the safety benefits of its technology, stating that its system experiences “five times fewer injury-causing collisions, and twelve times fewer injury-causing collisions with pedestrians compared to humans,” based on the company’s internal data analysis. Waymo further reports accumulating 100 million “fully autonomous miles” on public roads, with over 10 million paid rides provided to passengers to date.

As part of Alphabet’s “Other Bets” segment, Waymo contributed $373 million in revenue during the second quarter, while incurring a $1.25 billion loss. The upcoming third-quarter results are scheduled for release on October 29th.

The autonomous vehicle landscape in London is evolving, with companies like Wayve, a U.K.-based startup backed by SoftBank and Microsoft, also pursuing robotaxi commercial pilots. While Waymo relies on a suite of sensors, including radar and lidar, Wayve is developing camera-based systems, a technology path similar to Tesla’s approach. The competition in London underscores the potential for innovation and growth in the European autonomous driving market, contingent on regulatory progress and public acceptance.