Waymo gears up to launch robotaxis in London this year

NEW YORK

A Waymo autonomous vehicle drives through the Richmond District of San Francisco on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

US self-driving car company Waymo said it is working with U.K. partners to launch driverless robotaxis in London, which are expected to begin operating later this year.

London would mark the first foray into Europe for Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet and already present in a growing number of U.S. cities.

The approvals are dependant on when a new law, the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act, is implemented.

Self-driving vehicles would undergo "rigorous" tests to prove they are at least as safe, competent and careful as human drivers, before being allowed on UK roads, the government said.

The government estimated that the self-driving vehicle industry could create thousands of jobs and add billions of pounds to the U.K. economy by 2035.

Waymo already has dozens of vehicles operating in London with a safety driver present for mapping and data collection purposes ahead of the launch of pilot self-driving schemes later this year.

California-based Waymo partnered with U.K.-based Jaguar Land Rover in 2018 to develop a self-driving electric car.

Rival companies are lining up to join the fray.

Ride-hailing giant Uber has announced plans to launch driverless taxis in London with U.K. firm Wayve, whilst Chinese internet giant Baidu will launch a U.K. robotaxi service on rideshare app Lyft.