Uber opens waitlist for Wayve robotaxi service in London, ahead of UK operations

Uber Technologies has launched a waitlist for customers in London who want to ride in a robotaxi using technology from UK-based Wayve, according to a report carried by Yahoo Finance and echoed by other market outlets. The signup is intended to increase riders’ chances of being matched with a Wayve robotaxi when Uber begins service later this year.

The program functions as an “interest list” inside the Uber app. Uber did not disclose an exact start date. Customers who opt in can also choose not to take the autonomous vehicle if offered and instead request a human-driven ride, according to reporting on how the feature works.

Wayve’s role is to provide the self-driving software, while the vehicles reported for the London rollout are electric Ford Mustang Mach-E SUVs equipped with cameras and radar sensors, along with Wayve’s autonomy system. An initially required human safety operator will supervise from behind the wheel, with the operator not expected to manually drive unless an intervention is needed, a Wayve spokesperson said in connection with the launch preparations.

While the waitlist indicates an approaching operational phase, the companies’ path to public deployment is constrained by UK oversight. A Wayve spokesperson told that Wayve needs additional regulatory approvals from the UK’s Department for Transport before offering unmanned passenger rides. That same regulatory requirement would apply to other robotaxi services being planned for London, including those backed by Alphabet’s Waymo and China-based Baidu.

The Uber-Wayve effort is part of a broader push by Uber to bring autonomy onto its marketplace. Uber has previously described a multi-year partnership with Wayve focused on integrating Wayve’s “Embodied AI” approach into vehicles operating on Uber’s platform, including trials on UK roads before scaled deployments. In a 2025 investor-relations release about the UK, Uber and Wayve said they would work with the UK government and Transport for London on permitting and regulatory approval processes prior to launch.

The current waitlist arrives amid intensifying competition in autonomous driving. In the United States, Uber already operates with Waymo for driverless rides in select cities, and reporting around the London rollout frames Uber and Wayve’s move as a direct challenge to Waymo’s ambitions in the same geography, should both clear regulatory hurdles. For now, Uber’s message has focused on onboarding customers and operational readiness rather than publishing schedules or volume targets.

Still, important details remain unpublicized. Uber has not stated how many robotaxis will be available at launch, which neighborhoods or routes will be served first, or when fully unmanned operations might begin. Until the Department for Transport approvals and any related permits are finalized, the timing and scope of the London deployment are uncertain. Separately, Uber did not provide a specific launch date alongside the waitlist feature.

Watch next: whether Uber confirms the first operational launch window in London, whether Wayve secures the regulatory permissions needed for unmanned passenger service, and how quickly Uber expands from a signup phase to recurring availability on the app as autonomous ride demand begins to build.