Uber on Tuesday announced it’s partnered with self-driving car technology firm Wayve to launch trials of fully autonomous rides in the U.K.
The ride-hailing app said the pilot would be the first of its kind for the company, as it allow users to take Uber rides without a safety driver present — a standard of autonomous driving described by the industry as “Level 4.”
Self-driving vehicles have become a common sight in San Francisco, where Google
’s autonomous driving venture Waymo offers a commercial ride-hailing service with its driverless cars. However, other global players are racing to roll out so-called “robotaxi” services of their own.
Andrew MacDonald, president and chief operating officer of Uber, said the partnership with Wayve would move the company a step closer toward its vision “to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere.”
