Self-driving cars and robotaxis in the UK: when they arrive
Robotaxis in London, driver-assist software and the law that decides when a car can drive itself. The UK has the legislation; what matters now is who gets a permit, where, and whether anyone is behind the wheel.
- 1 landed
- 2 delayed
- 1 not orderable
| Arrival | Status | Category | UK arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayve × Uber | Landed | Self-driving | Live since 3 Sep 2026 |
| Waymo London | Delayed | Self-driving | End 2026 |
| Driverless pilots | No permits yet | Self-driving | No permits issued |
| Tesla FSD UK | Not approved | Self-driving | No UK approval |
Promised dates in self-driving cars and robotaxis
Of 2 promised dates that have come due or been revised, 0 were kept and 2 slipped. How the Slip Index works.
| Item | The promise | Said | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK driverless taxi and bus pilots (Automated Vehicles Act) | Apollo Go public robotaxi rides in London“2027, subject to regulatory approval” (Baidu and Freenow by Lyft, source) | Still openDeadline 31 Dec 2027 | |
| UK driverless taxi and bus pilots (Automated Vehicles Act) | Driverless taxi and bus pilots carrying passengers“later this year” (Department for Transport, source) | Still openDeadline 31 Dec 2026 | |
| Waymo London | London rides with no one behind the wheel“in 2026” (Waymo, source) | Still openDeadline 31 Dec 2026 | |
| Wayve × Uber robotaxis (London) | Fully driverless (Level 4) trials in London“spring 2026” (UK Government, in the Uber and Wayve announcement, source) | Missed5 months overdue and counting | |
| UK driverless taxi and bus pilots (Automated Vehicles Act) | Driverless taxi and bus pilots carrying passengers“spring 2026” (Department for Transport, source) | Pushed backMoved back 7 months | |
| UK driverless taxi and bus pilots (Automated Vehicles Act) | Full Automated Vehicles Act regime in force“from the second half of 2027” (Department for Transport, source) | Still openDeadline 31 Dec 2027 |