Checkmate, Tesla Cybercab! Uber to trial driverless taxis in London

Uber is to begin trials of driverless taxis in London next year, ahead of the Tesla Cybercab, which is touted to make its debut in the US 'before 2027'.
The ride-hailing platform has already been working with UK artificial intelligence firm Wayve to perfect its Level 4 autonomous driving technology in what Uber has described as 'complex driving environments'.
This announcement comes shortly after the Government said it would begin implementing a fast-tracking framework to introduce autonomous 'taxi and bus-like' pilot services to UK roads; the previous Conservative administration originally intended to put in place legislation to see fully autonomous taxis on UK roads by 2026, but this has since been pushed back a year. Advertisement - Article continues below
In a statement, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the UK's commitment to autonomous vehicles will 'drive growth, create 38,000 jobs and add £42 billion to our economy.'
Uber has not confirmed whether its driverless taxi pilot scheme will be open to the general public or how it will be implemented; the firm says it will announce details in the coming months. Nevertheless, its chief operating officer, Andrew Macdonald, reiterated that: '[Uber's] vision is to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere, and this trial in London brings that future closer to reality.' Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
Of course, there is still a long way to go before our streets are fully populated by autonomous vehicles; the Government's Automated Vehicles Act will require driverless cars to 'achieve a level of safety at least as high as competent and careful human drivers'.
Liability in the event of an accident will be placed on the firm responsible for the taxi itself, with occupants blameless for anything that occurs. If there are controls mounted in the car, occupants will instead be referred to as 'users-in-charge', but they can still escape liability in some instances.
While Uber looks poised to introduce its driverless services in a matter of months, many firms (including Tesla) have hit roadblocks along the way, with critics questioning the feasibility of implementing such schemes safely.
The general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, Steve McNamara, told the Guardian newspaper that the Government is 'living in fantasy land. We're probably going to have flying taxis before we have autonomous ones in London.
'Most people haven't got a robot hoover or a robot lawnmower even though they are absolutely fantastic,' McNamara remarked. 'Are people who don't trust a robot to cut their grass or clean their house going to trust one to take their kids to school or drive their elderly mum around? Come back to me in 2040.'
Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express ? We'll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too .
Find a car with the experts Car Deal of the Day: A Volkswagen Golf R Estate for less than a GTI
Car Deal of the Day: A Volkswagen Golf R Estate for less than a GTI
The Golf R Estate is one of the best performance estates around – and right now it's criminally cheap. It's our Deal of the Day for 9 June. Should Citroen make a new 2CV? Some say oui, others say non
Should Citroen make a new 2CV? Some say oui, others say non
A new Citroen 2CV could be inbound, but would this be a French fancy or a financial flop? Car Deal of the Day: A fully-loaded Jeep Avenger for under £200 per month
Car Deal of the Day: A fully-loaded Jeep Avenger for under £200 per month
The petrol-powered version of Jeep's charming baby SUV is our Deal of the Day for 8 June

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Independent

19 minutes ago

• The Independent

As Musk's 'robotaxi' rollout approaches, Democratic lawmakers in Texas try to throw up a roadblock

A group of Democratic lawmakers in Texas is asking Elon Musk to delay the planned rollout of driverless 'robotaxis' in the state this weekend to assure that the vehicles are safe. In a letter, seven state legislators asked Tesla to wait until September when a new law takes effect that will require several checks before autonomous vehicles can be deployed without a human in the driver's seat. Tesla is slated to begin testing a dozen of what it calls robotaxis for paying customers on Sunday in a limited area of Austin, Texas. 'We are formally requesting that Tesla delay autonomous robotaxi operations until the new law takes effect on September 1, 2025,' the letter from Wednesday, June 18, reads. 'We believe this is in the best interest of both public safety and building public trust in Tesla's operations.' It's not clear if the letter will have much impact. Republicans have been a dominant majority in the Texas Legislature for more than 20 years. State lawmakers and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott have generally embraced Musk and the jobs and investment he has brought to Texas, from his SpaceX rocket program on the coast, to his Tesla factory in Austin. The company, which is headquartered in Austin, did not responded immediately to a request for comment from The Associated Press. The law will require companies to secure approval from the state motor vehicles department to operate autonomous cars with passengers. That approval, in turn, would depend on sufficient proof that the cars won't pose a high risk to others if the self-driving system breaks down, among other reassurances. Companies would also have to file detailed plans for how first responders should handle the cars if there is a problem, such as an accident. The letter asked Tesla to assure the legislators it has met all the requirements of the law even if it decides to go ahead with the test run this weekend. The letter was earlier reported by Reuters. Musk has made the robotaxi program a priority at Tesla and a failure would likely be highly damaging to the company's stock, which has already tumbled 20% this year. Musk's political views and his affiliation with the Trump administration have drastically reduced sales of Tesla, particularly in Europe, where Musk's endorsement of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party in February's election drew broad condemnation. Tesla shares bottomed out in March and have rebounded somewhat in recent months. Much of the rise reflects optimism that robotaxis will not only be deployed without a hitch, but that the service will quickly expand to other cities and eventually dominate the self-driving cab business. Rival Waymo is already picking up passengers in Austin and several other cities, and recently boasted of surpassing 10 million paid rides. In afternoon trading Friday, Tesla shares were largely unchanged at $320. ________ AP reporter Jim Vertuno contributed from Austin.

Times

23 minutes ago

• Times

Insolvencies rise as firms face tariffs and higher costs

The number of businesses becoming insolvent rose sharply last month as companies faced higher staff costs and continuing uncertainty over trading arrangements with the United States. Business insolvencies in England and Wales rose 15 per cent to 2,238 in May compared with the same month a year ago, according to data from the Insolvency Service. The figures showed that the number of creditors' voluntary liquidations, through which a director chooses to close down the business, rose by 13 per cent to 1,734, while the number of company administrations, which usually involve larger enterprises, was up by 12 per cent to 136. Businesses started paying higher national insurance contributions for employees in April and also faced an increase in the national minimum wage. The corporate environment has also been hit by uncertainty over tariffs, although Britain has now signed a trade deal with the US. Tom Russell, president of R3, the UK's insolvency and restructuring trade body, said the uncertainty over trade costs had made 'medium and long-term planning more difficult' for companies. Mark Ford, partner in the restructuring team at S&W, the professional services firm, said: 'The impact of sluggish economic growth, high borrowing costs, low consumer confidence and high inflation in recent years has eroded cash reserves for businesses and left some in a perilous position. 'Businesses are now facing newer challenges that threaten their viability and this means we are likely to continue to see a steady stream of company insolvencies in the coming months. 'Higher costs resulting from increases to employer national insurance contributions, the minimum wage and business rates are all heaping considerable pressure on businesses, particularly those that feel they are unable to increase prices for fear of losing customers.' Kathleen Garrett, partner at Reed Smith, the law firm, said the Bank of England's decision to hold interest rates on Thursday showed that while borrowing costs were falling, they were facing 'a much more gradual descent than many would have hoped'. She added: 'Businesses are facing a raft of challenges which have caused insolvencies to start rising again. The headwinds from additional business costs such as the recent increases to national insurance and a fraught geopolitical environment in terms of tariffs and unrest appear to have had an effect on business.'

BreakingNews.ie

23 minutes ago

• BreakingNews.ie

Liverpool complete €117m club-record signing of Florian Wirtz

Premier League champions Liverpool have completed the £100 million (€117 million) club-record signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. The deal for the 22-year-old Germany international could potentially become a British record as there are £16 million (€18.7 million)of add-ons included, which would surpass the existing mark of £115 million (€134 million) which Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo in 2023. Advertisement It is understood Liverpool will be happy to pay these 'aspirational bonuses' as it will mean they have enjoyed considerable success at elite level. Florian Wirtz is a Red. — Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 20, 2025 Wirtz has signed a five-year contract and the capture of one of Europe's most highly-rated talents is seen as a significant coup for the club having initially faced competition from Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Leverkusen had valued Wirtz at £126 million but a compromise was reached last week, although the up-front fee easily outstrips the £85 million deal Liverpool agreed with Benfica in 2022 for Darwin Nunez, who is expected to leave this summer. Wirtz is Liverpool's second signing of the summer, following close friend and Leverkusen team-mate Jeremie Frimpong to Anfield, and with the Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Marmadashvilli joining next month after a deal was agreed a year ago spending has already reached £175 million. Advertisement Jeremie Frimpong has also made the move from Bayer Leverkusen to Anfield (Peter Byrne/PA) That is set to be pushed beyond the £200 million mark with a £40 milliom fee agreed for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez. It is their biggest summer window since 2018 when Naby Keita, Fabinho, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson Becker were recruited for around £170 million, with Virgil van Dijk having signed for £75 million the previous January. Owners Fenway Sports Group have, despite their 'Moneyball' reputation, not been afraid to splash out big fees for transformative players like Van Dijk and Alisson – and Wirtz falls into that category. The club have already recouped around £26 million with the departures of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher with further funds expected to be generated from the likes of Nunez, Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa and potentially Andy Robertson, who is a target for Atletico Madrid. Advertisement 'I feel very happy and very proud. I was waiting for a long time – finally it's done and I am really happy,' Wirtz told the club's website. From Leverkusen to Liverpool 🌍 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 20, 2025 'I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League. 'I will see how I can perform there. I hope I can do my best. I spoke also with some players who played there and they told me that it's perfect for me and every pitch is perfect, you can enjoy every game. I'm really looking forward to playing my first game. 'I would like to win everything every year! First of all, we have to do our work, I have to make my work. Advertisement 'In the end, we want to be successful. Last season they won the Premier League so my goal is for sure to win it again and also to go further in the Champions League. I'm really ambitious.'