Waymo has announced that it plans to launch a commercial, fully driverless robotaxi service in London in 2026, marking the company’s first major European deployment.

The company is part of Alphabet, which also includes Google, and is the world’s third-largest technology company by revenue, after Amazon and Apple, the largest technology company by profit, and one of the world’s most valuable companies.

This move comes as Britain updates rules to allow limited commercial trials of automated vehicles.

Look no hands

Waymo said it will begin public-road testing in London in the coming weeks with human “safety drivers” in the vehicles.

It is following similar steps the company has used in U.S. rollouts, before moving to driverless operations, and once official regulators sign off.

The initial fleet will use all-electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles fitted with lidar, radar, cameras and the company’s sensor-fusion and machine-learning stack.

Rides will be available through Waymo’s app rather than third-party platforms.

 

Under control

U.K. regulators are preparing a legal framework that requires automated systems to demonstrate safety “at least as high as careful and competent human drivers”.

Alongside government regulations, transport authorities such as Transport for London will also set local rules for licensing and operations, adding an extra layer of oversight in the capital.

This initial London move is described as a phased, safety-centred programme: mapping and data collection; supervised trials with safety drivers; tightly controlled driverless testing; and finally, public service in selected zones and hours.

Company executives say the incremental approach lets the system learn UK road patterns, from narrow streets and roundabouts to heavy pedestrian flows, before the scaling up to fully driverless vehicles are utilised.

Is this sensible?

Reaction has been mixed.

Ministers welcomed the investment and potential jobs boost, while disability groups pointed to the potential accessibility benefits of on-demand autonomous vehicles for people with visual or mobility impairments.

Conversely, London’s black cab industry and some drivers expressed scepticism about reliability and the impact on traditional livelihoods, echoing a broader debate about automation and work.

Safety remains the central question.

Independent analysts and media coverage stress that Waymo will need to prove its systems handle the messy realities of London streets: temporary roadworks, cyclists filtering through traffic, and unpredictable behaviour at junctions, and narrow and complicated street layouts.

Past autonomous-vehicle programmes have faced delays and regulatory hurdles when real-world complexity outpaced simulations.

The Guardian and Wired have both noted that while Waymo’s record in U.S. cities is extensive, London presents unique challenges.

 

Fast forward future

If successful, Waymo’s entry could accelerate Britain’s autonomous-vehicle ecosystem: more testing data, supply-chain investment, and commercial pilots by competitors.

It could also prompt faster work on insurance, safety assurance and local licensing.

However, experts warn that broad adoption will be gradual; regulatory comfort, public trust and demonstrable reductions in crashes will determine how quickly driverless taxis become a routine part of UK travel.

Waymo’s London plan is both a test of its technology and of Britain’s readiness for a new chapter in transport: one that promises safer, more accessible trips.

The bottom line is that the machines have to prove they can navigate the capital’s complicated streets better than a careful human driver.