Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company backed by Google’s parent firm Alphabet, has confirmed plans to roll out its self-driving ride-hailing service in London in 2026, marking a major step forward in the UK’s adoption of autonomous transport.
Already operating fully driverless services in US cities including Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Waymo will work with fleet partner Moove to establish a service in the UK capital, using Jaguar Land Rover’s electric I-Pace vehicles equipped with its proprietary Waymo Driver technology.
The move places Waymo in direct competition with major ride-hailing rivals Uber and Lyft, both of which are preparing to launch their own autonomous services in the UK next year. Uber is partnering with London-based AI firm Wayve, while Lyft has teamed up with Chinese internet giant Baidu to expand into both the UK and Germany.
“We’re thrilled to bring the reliability, safety and magic of Waymo to Londoners,” said Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo’s co-CEO. “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.”
The company is already working with UK regulators to secure required approvals under the government’s proposed piloting scheme for autonomous vehicles (AVs). Waymo employs engineering teams in both London and Oxford and has longstanding R&D links to the UK.
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander welcomed the announcement, calling it a win for innovation, mobility and economic growth.
“I’m delighted that Waymo intends to bring their services to London next year,” she said. “Boosting the AV sector will increase accessible transport options while bringing jobs, investment and opportunities to the UK.”
Autonomous vehicles have faced scrutiny worldwide following incidents involving early-stage deployments, but UK safety advocates have cautiously welcomed Waymo’s expansion, citing strong safety performance data.
“Autonomous vehicles, such as Waymo, hold the potential to significantly improve road safety because the human driver is removed,” said James Gibson, executive director of Road Safety GB. “Waymo vehicles have shown far safer performance compared to human drivers across more than 100 million autonomous miles.”
Waymo’s UK launch sets the stage for a competitive London market where multinational ride-hailing providers will race to scale autonomous transport.
Analysts say the success of early pilots will depend on public acceptance, pricing, regulatory clarity and the ability of AVs to operate safely amid London’s complex urban environment.
With 2026 shaping up to be a defining year for autonomous mobility in the UK, London could become one of Europe’s first major cities to see large-scale deployment of driverless ride-hailing services — provided regulators, operators and the public remain aligned on safety and economic impacts.
