[AutonomousVehicles] waymo is expanding to London

[Cornelius Butler]

HI Everyone,
Waymo is expanding to London. Article Text and Article URL are below.

Article URL:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-15/waymo-to-launch-robotaxis-in-london-in-2026-marking-european-debut

Article Text:
Waymo to Launch Robotaxis in London Next Year, Marking European Debut

By Natalie Lung
October 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM EDT


Waymo is planning to launch its driverless ride-hailing service in London
next year, marking its second international expansion and its first in
Europe.

The Alphabet Inc. unit will begin testing a small fleet of its vehicles
with safety drivers across a 100-square-mile area of London in the coming
months, a spokesperson said. The company will work with Uber Technologies
Inc.-backed Moove to manage and maintain the fleet, and add more vehicles
based on guidelines issued by UK regulators, it added in a statement
Wednesday.

The UK government is planning to allow commercial self-driving pilots
beginning in 2026, after which Waymo intends to provide its service to
consumers through its own app, rather than Uber or Lyft Inc. as it does in
some US cities.

The announcement marks Waymo’s second international destination after
Tokyo, where it’s been testing on public roads since April in collaboration
with Japanese taxi platform GO and Tokyo taxi company Nihon Kotsu. No
commercial launch there has been announced.

Waymo’s decision to eventually offer commercial service through its own app
in London sets it up to compete with Uber and other ride-hailing apps in
one of the largest ride-hailing markets in the world. Uber is eyeing the
same 2026 regulatory approval timeline with partner Wayve Technologies Ltd.
for autonomous-vehicle trials in London.

In contrast, Waymo has teamed up with ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft
in some US cities, rather than competing with them, to ensure its vehicles
are kept busy. It currently completes hundreds of thousands of rides a week
in five US markets, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, with further
expansions planned for next year.

Waymo already has a relationship with fleet operator Moove: The two have
partnered on offering robotaxi service in Phoenix, and are working on a
launch in Miami slated for 2026.
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