"Robotaxi pioneer Waymo plans to expand to London next year, marking the company's latest step in rolling out its driverless ride service internationally. Waymo said Wednesday that it will start testing its self-driving cars on London streets in the coming weeks-with a human "safety driver" behind the wheel-as it seeks to win government approval for its services. In a blog post, Waymo said it will "lay the groundwork" for its London service in the coming months."
"Waymo will have to follow new U.K. regulations on self-driving cars that pave the way for autonomous vehicles to take to the country's roads. They require self-driving cars to have a safety level "at least as high as careful and competent human drivers" and meet rigorous safety checks. The company will be able to take part in a pilot program for "small-scale" self-driving taxi and bus services that the government plans for spring 2026."
Waymo plans to expand driverless taxi operations to London next year and will begin on-street testing with a human safety driver to pursue regulatory approval. The company currently operates self-driving taxis in multiple U.S. cities, and has initiated international testing partnerships in Japan. New U.K. regulations require autonomous vehicles to meet safety levels at least as high as careful and competent human drivers and to pass rigorous safety checks. Waymo intends to engage local and national leaders for permissions, aims to participate in a spring 2026 small-scale pilot, and must comply with Transport for London licensing rules.
Read at Fast Company
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]