Self-driving Jaguar I-Pace from Waymo have begun testing in the UK as part of a pilot scheme backed by the government to accelerate autonomous vehicle technology in the country. The ride-sharing service has already started tests in London, with some of the first specially adapted Jaguar I-Pace SUVs being spotted out and about by Autocar magazine.
Waymo operates autonomous taxis in six American states and has begun to expand into Japan. It will eventually be joined in the spring by Uber. The taxi company works with mapping service Wayve for the fleet of autonomous vehicles.
While personal driverless cars will not legal in Britain until the second half of 2027, the government has allowed both Waymo and Uber to test its vehicles before then.
“Cutting edge investment like this will help us deliver our mission to be world-leaders in new technology and spearhead national renewal that delivers real change in our communities,” transport minister Heidi Alexander said.
Autonomous taxi services arriving in the UK was heralded as a “landmark” moment by Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). It is now up to the industry and government to “keep Britain at the forefront of global innovation,” it said.
“The anticipated arrival of self-driving cars in London is a landmark moment, tangibly translating the ambition of Britain’s advanced regulatory framework into a social and mobility revolution,” SMMT chief Mike Hawes said.
Waymo has engineering hubs in both Oxford and London. The service, it said, will help the capital to achieve its “transport priorities,” which includes a reduction in injuries and fatalities on the road.
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