The UK Government has today [10 June] unveiled new measures designed to accelerate the rollout of self-driving vehicles on the nation’s roads.
The move, which sets out proposals for a regulatory framework enabling commercial autonomous vehicle services to launch in 2026, has been welcomed by organisations from across the UK CAM sector.
It will give firms the ability to trial small scale ‘taxi- and bus-like’ services without a safety driver on UK roads for the first time, ahead of a wider deployment programme when the Automated Vehicles Act becomes law in the second half of 2027.
Previously, the ambition was for such self-driving vehicles to be trialled on UK roads in 2027, when the act had become law, however today’s announcement will enable trials to be brought forward a year, with Wayve and Uber confirmed as the first two companies to deliver such a project.
Starting in Spring next year, Wayve and Uber also announced today that they will launch public-road trials of Level 4 (L4) autonomous vehicles in London, marking a first of its kind for Uber in the UK and a major leap forward for the connected and automated mobility (CAM) sector.
By bringing forward the pilots of self-driving vehicles and putting the measures in place to make it easier and safer to deploy self-driving vehicles, the Government is hoping that it will help the nation steal a lead in the global race to develop and deploy the connected and autonomous mobility solutions of the future.
Mark Cracknell, Program Director at Zenzic, said: “Today’s announcement that a new framework is being implemented to facilitate the trialling of self-driving vehicles on UK roads is fantastic news for the UK CAM sector.
“The deployment of connected and automated mobility solutions has the potential to create over 38,000 jobs and provide a £42 billion boost to the UK economy, so it’s fantastic to see the Government introducing the required measures and support to enable the industry to realise its potential.
“We’ve already seen the move give Uber and Wayve the confidence to invest in the UK and launch world-first trials here, and going forward, we’re confident it will unlock even more growth for the sector while positioning the UK as a location of choice for deploying new forms of transport, be it autonomous buses, taxis or HGVs. It will provide a huge boost to UK plc.”
By launching in London, Wayve and Uber are taking on one of the world’s most complex urban driving environments, far removed from the grid-like road systems often used in early AV testing abroad, offering a vital opportunity to build, refine, and scale AV systems that can truly operate anywhere.
The project has been enabled by the introduction of the accelerated framework for commercial pilots and will see Wayve and Uber collaborate with the UK Government and Transport for London on the permitting and regulatory approval process prior to launch.
Alex Kendall, CEO and Co-founder of Wayve, said: “This is a defining moment for UK autonomy. With Uber and a global OEM partner, we’re preparing to put our AI Driver technology into real service on the streets of London, delivering on our AV2.0 vision for scalable autonomy. Our Embodied AI learns to drive anywhere, in any vehicle, and this trial brings us closer to bringing safe and intelligent driving to everyday rides across the UK and beyond.”
Andrew Macdonald, President and Chief Operating Officer of Uber, added: “We’re excited to take the next step in our journey with Wayve, bringing autonomous mobility to one of the world’s busiest and most complex urban environments. Wayve’s globally scalable AV2.0 approach makes them an ideal partner to bring Uber’s autonomous vision to reality in new cities around the world. Our vision is to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere, and this trial in London brings that future closer to reality.”
Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, said: “Today’s agreement, between two leading
names at the forefront of the sector, is a fantastic vote of confidence in this new technology. By fast tracking pilots of self-driving vehicles to spring 2026, we are excited to see safety-first tests that will drive growth, create 38,000 jobs and add £42bn to our economy.”