Latest news with #AlexKendall
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Insider
I took a chaotic, surreal robotaxi ride through central London. It left me impressed, but with one big question.
Self-driving taxis are now a common sight on the streets of San Francisco and Shanghai — but in London, the city's famous black cabs still rule the roost. That may not be the case for much longer. Earlier in June, Uber announced it would begin trialling driverless taxis in the UK's capital, in partnership with Microsoft and Nvidia-backed self-driving startup Wayve. As the two companies prepare to launch their robotaxi service, I took a test drive through the busy streets of central London in one of the self-driving Ford Mach-Es Wayve has been testing in the city. The robotaxi dealt with everything London's chaotic driving environment could throw at it, with Wayve CEO Alex Kendall, who joined for the ride, saying it was one of the more eventful trips he'd taken. Robot, take the wheel After a quick look around Wayve's Kings Cross base, we hopped in a Ford Mach-E equipped with the company's "AI driver" self-driving system. Wayve's upcoming robotaxi service with Uber will be fully driverless, but for now, the company is testing with safety drivers who take over if the robotaxi runs into problems. I sat in the front seat, alongside a big red button that disengages the self-driving system (the safety driver on my ride said he'd never had to use it). The driver drove us out of the gates of Wayve's HQ and then, with a sharp buzzing noise, he removed his hands from the wheel, and the robotaxi took over. London's streets are famously complex, so much so that taxi drivers are required to learn thousands of them off by heart in a 150-year-old exam known as "The Knowledge." The city's hodgepodge of Roman and Victorian roads are a mess of cycle lanes and pedestrian crossings, with complex road layouts that often serve more as a rough guide than a rulebook for the millions of drivers passing through the city each day. For Wayve, that complexity is the point. The company says its AI driver — which runs on an end-to-end AI model, an approach also adopted by Tesla — is capable of generalizing and reacting to the physical world in the same way a human would, unlike rivals like Waymo, which rely on high-definition maps and sensors. Kendall said that this allows Wayve's software to drive anywhere, even places it hasn't seen before, and deal with the kind of unexpected encounters that are an everyday occurrence on the streets of a major city like London. "I can't wait to see another autonomy company come into London because I think it's extremely challenging," said Kendall. "The advantage of starting in London is that we've been forced to develop a system that can operate on complex roads and deal with all of these unexpected scenarios," he added. On the road In the first few minutes of our drive, we encountered multiple jaywalkers, including several who darted out across the street without warning in front of the robotaxi. We also had to inch through narrow gaps between rows of parked cars. Perhaps understandably, Wayve's robotaxi was more cautious than your average Uber driver. On one occasion, the robotaxi came to a jerky stop at an amber light when it may have had enough time to go through. Sometimes, that caution was too much for London's impatient commuters. One maneuver that saw the car slowly navigate a tight gap between a set of roadworks and a row of traffic drew an irate honk from the car behind, which was clearly keen for us to hurry up. Wayve has been testing its autonomous vehicles on the streets of London for years, but they still run into the odd surprise. Around halfway into our drive, we came across a roadblock as a team of workers trimmed an overhanging tree. In the seat behind me, Kendall broke off from answering my question and leaned forward to see how the car would deal with the falling branches and the worker directing traffic — but the robotaxi barely paused, successfully reading hand signals to stop and proceed and accelerating past the quizzical stares of the maintenance crew. "I've never seen that before," said Kendall as the robotaxi exited the roadblock, also dodging a tractor reversing along the road. Our route skirted the edge of Soho, London's central nightlife district, and went past the entrance to the British Museum, a narrow street packed with tourists, taxi drivers, and roadworks. Perhaps the most impressive moment of the drive came on this road, one of London's busiest. The robotaxi came to a stop at a crosswalk in near constant use as a huge crowd of pedestrians streamed toward the Museum. Working out the safe moment to move forward would be daunting even for a human driver, but the car spotted an opening and moved through the zebra crossing quickly, avoiding traffic building up behind us. "Lots of autonomy systems, I think, would be stuck here for hours," said Kendall, explaining that moments like this required the robotaxi's AI software to track and predict the activity of dozens of pedestrians. A glimpse into the future? As the drive went on, the activity around us occasionally passed into the bizarre. While coming to a stop at a red light, we narrowly avoided being hit by a small piece of metal that fell off the truck in front as it accelerated away. A pedestrian crossing at the red light kindly picked up the debris and moved it to the side of the road, but it's hard to imagine anyone thinking to simulate a situation so surreal. For Kendall, incidents like this are proof that robotaxis need to get on as many roads as possible. After opening offices in Canada, the US, and Japan over the last year, Wayve has now tested its vehicles in 90 cities in the past 90 days, from alpine roads in Switzerland and dirt tracks in rural Italy to bustling cities like Tokyo and Vancouver. Kendall said for some of those places, Wayve had little to no training data, demonstrating the ability of its software to apply what it has learnt to completely new cities and driving environments. "If robotaxis are just going to be in affluent areas like the Bay Area, then we've failed as an industry. We've got to make sure this technology is rolled out globally," Kendall said. The launch of a driverless ride-hailing service with Uber in London, which will be the first time Wayve has taken the safety driver out of its vehicles, is a big step toward that vision. Both companies declined to say when the driverless pilots would begin or which automaker would supply the vehicles for the robotaxi fleet, but Kendall described it as a huge moment for the young British startup and the broader industry. "It's exciting, it's my life's work. Over 99% of road accidents are due to human error, and this technology can eliminate those," he said. A long road ahead My ride in Wayve's robotaxi ended with the car smoothly negotiating a double roundabout. The safety driver took back control to pull into the company's headquarters, the first time he'd touched the wheel since we'd left an hour ago. After 60 minutes of driving around the centre of one of the world's biggest and most chaotic cities without a hitch, I was impressed, if not completely sold. While self-driving cars are now a reality, the history of the industry is littered with broken promises, high-profile failures, and impressive tech demos that have failed to pan out. Saber Fallah, professor of safe AI and autonomy at the University of Surrey, told BI that while Wayve's AI-focused approach to self-driving was "bold and innovative," he was skeptical about how soon the company would be able to build a robotaxi network in a city as complex as London. "Unlike cities like Phoenix, where many Level 4 trials have taken place, London presents an extremely dynamic and unpredictable environment," said Fallah, adding that the vehicles would need to understand informal social cues and context between drivers and reason about their intent. Fallah said that one issue with Wayve's approach is that the "black box" nature of end-to-end AI systems might make it difficult to understand why robotaxis based on this tech make decisions, potentially undermining public trust. Despite calling the planned robotaxi pilot an "exciting step" for self-driving cars in the UK, Fallah warned that Uber and Wayve would have to navigate challenging liability and regulatory issues while building public confidence in the frontier technology. "Achieving consistent, safe operation without fallback drivers in central London will be an enormous hurdle," he added. Whether Uber and Wayve can run rides like the one I experienced in London a hundred times a day, in rain, sun, fog, and hail, will be the ultimate test. Until then, Londoners will have to stick to the city's black cabs and iconic red buses to get around.
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Uber's UK driverless taxi trial has Brits all saying the same thing
Futuristic robotaxis could soon be driving on UK roads, as Uber confirms its latest trial. However, the news has sparked debate online - with many brits sharing the same concern Uber has revealed futuristic plans to bring driverless taxis to the UK, but Brits have pointed out one big problem. Fully autonomous robotaxis — self-driving cars with no human safety net — could be deployed on London 's roads in the spring of 2026, the taxi firm has announced. The ambitious project is being conducted in partnership with Wayve, a UK-based artificial intelligence company that has been developing and testing driverless vehicle technology on the capital's streets under human supervision — as current regulations require. CEO and co-founder of Wayve, Alex Kendall, said: "The UK has been Wayve's home since 2017 — building this technology here has been an incredible journey, from testing our first prototype in Cambridge to deploying the world 's first end-to-end AI driver on public roads, starting in London and expanding nationwide. "Accelerating commercial self-driving pilots to 2026 positions the UK as a leading destination for the deployment of L4 self-driving technology. These early pilots will help build public trust and unlock new jobs, services, and markets. For Wayve, this means we can prioritise the UK for early deployment and help deliver safer, cleaner mobility to the UK. We're excited to bring the benefits of L4 autonomous mobility to cities around the UK." Changes in policy regarding driverless vehicles were revealed in the build-up to Uber's announcement — the government initially aimed to introduce autonomous cars onto British roads by 2026. However, this timeline was later pushed back to the latter half of 2027. Despite this, the government put forward an accelerated regulatory framework to allow smaller-scale autonomous commercial services, such as buses and taxis, to operate sooner, with the aim of fostering innovation and positioning Britain as a global leader in autonomous transport technology. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander emphasised the significance of this development, stating: "The future of transport is arriving. "Self-driving cars could bring jobs, investment, and the opportunity for the UK to be among the world leaders in new technology. With road safety at the heart of our pilots and legislation, we continue to take bold steps to create jobs, back British industry, and drive innovation to deliver our Plan for Change." While Uber is yet to confirm whether the robotaxis in the London trial will be available for public use, the company has stated it intends to integrate these vehicles into its UK app as a regular option as soon as legislation permits. The details of the trial, including the number of vehicles and operational specifics, are still being finalised. Uber and Wayve are working closely with regulators to ensure the vehicles meet safety and operational standards before they hit the streets without a human driver. Uber's London trial follows similar initiatives worldwide — Uber launched a robotaxi service in Austin, Texas in March 2025, and claiming its driverless vehicles there could work 20 hours a day, seven days a week — customers have the choice between a regular taxi or robotaxi, if there's one available, with no difference in fare. According to the Department for Transport, the industry could create approximately 38,000 jobs and contribute £42 billion to the UK economy by 2035. However, the introduction of driverless taxis raises social concerns, particularly regarding employment. GMB national secretary Andy Prendergast, emphasised the need to consider the 'significant social implications' of autonomous vehicles, including potential job losses for professional drivers. While members of the Great British public all seem to be saying the same thing about robotaxis on social media. One person wrote: "Not only would I not get in one, I wouldn't want to drive on the same road as one." A second posted: "No. No bloody way. For starters. How will they avoid the potholes? I'm sure London must have some even if it far less than the rest of us." Another agreed: "I wouldn't trust them but also wouldn't use them because it's taking people's jobs away!" While a fourth chimed in: "It's hard enough to trust an ordinary taxi." Although clearly in the minority, at least online, not everyone is so lacking in trust. One commenter said: "Yes, I can't wait to get a driverless car when you don't need a driving licence." While someone else added: "Arrogant human drivers are the biggest danger." Uber's upcoming robotaxi trial in London represents a major step toward integrating autonomous vehicles into everyday urban transport, with the potential to reshape the future of mobility in the UK and beyond — but it remains to see whether Brits will trust the tech enough to use it.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Wayve CEO on London Self-Driving Cars Trial With Uber
Wayve Technologies CEO & Co-Founder Alex Kendall discusses the company's plans to remain "asset light" and adaptable for all car manufacturers. This comes after the startup's announcement earlier this week that they will be partnering with Uber to trial fully autonomous vehicles in London. The two companies have been working together for some time, with Uber owning a strategic investment in the London-based startup. Kendall speaks to Bloomberg's Tom Mackenzie at sidelines of Founders Forum in Oxfordshire, UK. Sign in to access your portfolio
Bloomberg
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Wayve CEO on London Self-Driving Cars Trial With Uber
Wayve Technologies CEO & Co-Founder Alex Kendall discusses the company's plans to remain "asset light" and adaptable for all car manufacturers. This comes after the startup's announcement earlier this week that they will be partnering with Uber to trial fully autonomous vehicles in London. The two companies have been working together for some time, with Uber owning a strategic investment in the London-based startup. Kendall speaks to Bloomberg's Tom Mackenzie at sidelines of Founders Forum in Oxfordshire, UK. (Source: Bloomberg)
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Uber to trial self-driving taxis in London next year
Uber will trial self-driving London taxis in Spring 2026. The transport firm is teaming up with the UK tech firm Wayve to roll out bookable rides via its app in the British capital. More self-driving taxis are set to be introduced when Automated Vehicles Act comes into force in late 2027. The move comes after the UK Labour government recently announced a trial period of self-driving vehicles would take place in Spring 2026. The Department for Transport (DfT) said 38,000 jobs, £42 billion to the economy, and safer UK roads would be created because of autonomous technology. In addition, it would improve accessibility for those who cannot or do not wish to drive, as well as transport options in rural areas in the UK. Heidi Alexander, Transport Secretary, said: 'The future of transport is arriving. Self-driving cars could bring jobs, investment, and the opportunity for the UK to be among the world leaders in new technology.' Alex Kendall, a co-founder and the chief executive of Wayve, said the accelerated trials would put the UK in a leading position for fully autonomous cars, adding: 'These early pilots will help build public trust and unlock new jobs, services and markets.' However, Elly Baker, Labour's transport spokesperson in the London Assembly feared London Black Cab, as well as private taxi drivers could suffer. She told The Guardian: "Although jobs might be created building and managing driverless cars, existing taxi and private hire drivers shouldn't risk being left behind." Steve McNamara, the general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, said the move for self-driving taxis is something out of "fantasy land". He added to the publication: "We're probably going to have flying taxis before we have autonomous ones in London."
