‘They’re living in fantasy land’: Uber to trial self-driving taxis in London next spring

Uber will launch the cars with Wayve after the government sped up its process and a fuller rollout of the service is expected in late 2027. Photograph: Tim Andrew/Wayve

Tech firms have transformed how the public takes taxis, but echoes remain from the minicab controllers of old: not least the promise that a long-awaited vehicle is – really, this time – just around the corner.

Now Uber has announced that self-driving taxis will appear on roads in London next year, after the UK government confirmed that trials of fully autonomous vehicles would be brought forward to spring 2026.