ByAlan Ohnsman,
Forbes Staff.
Waymo plans to begin giving paid robotaxi rides in London next year, with no human backup driver, as the Alphabet unit seeks to establish itself as the global leader in autonomous driving.
The Mountain View, California-based company will begin operating a fleet of electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs in the British capital, sometime in 2026, that commuters can hail via the Waymo app. Moove.io, an African mobility fintech company, will handle fleet maintenance and service in London, just as it does in Phoenix and, soon, Miami, Waymo said today.
The news comes as the robotaxi leader prepares to take its service beyond Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta to Miami, Washington, D.C., Dallas, Denver, Nashville and New York. Waymo, which provides hundreds of thousands of paid rides weekly, has been testing in Tokyo as well, but hasn’t yet announced a launch date.
