London to Host US and Chinese Driverless Taxi Trials in 2026

The Sky News article reports that Uber and Lyft plan to launch driverless taxi trials in London in 2026, each in partnership with Chinese tech giant Baidu. This positions the UK as a European testing ground for autonomous taxis, supported by the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 which clarifies liability for driverless incidents. Waymo has already begun supervised tests in London, and London-based Wayve is preparing its own driverless trials in 2026 with substantial investment from SoftBank Group and Uber to test mapless AI on the city’s complex streets. Lyft intends to use Apollo Go RT6 vehicles designed for ridesharing and aims to start with dozens of vehicles next year, with plans to scale to hundreds. The moves come amid clear competition among US and Chinese autonomous giants, with Baidu and WeRide expanding in multiple regions. The articles note regulatory prerequisites, including government finalization of driverless car regulations, for fully autonomous UK trials. The piece also mentions sentiments from London taxi unions expressing skepticism about driverless cabs and public trust in letting children ride in them. A few incidents are cited, such as a 2024 “dizzy” robotaxi passenger who nearly missed a flight and a study indicating higher accident risk for autonomous vehicles in low-light conditions. Overall, the report frames London as a central hub in the global shift toward commercial robotaxi services.