I Rode in a Self-Driving Car in London: Here's My Take
I've always been a bit skeptical about self-driving cars actually hitting the roads here in the UK. It felt like something from a sci-fi movie, you know? So, when I got the chance to hop into one of Wayve's autonomous vehicles for a spin around north London recently, I was genuinely surprised.
Apparently, Wayve has teamed up with Uber, and they're aiming to start testing fully autonomous robotaxis in London as early as 2026. This is all part of a government initiative to speed up self-driving trials, with a potential wider launch planned for late 2027. That's not too far away!
For those who don't know, Level 4 autonomy basically means the car can handle pretty much all driving situations without human intervention – though there might still be some limitations in specific scenarios. Think of it like this: the car is the driver, but it might need you to take over in extreme weather or unusual road conditions. I think that's pretty cool.
Waymo, which is owned by Alphabet (the same company that owns Google), is already a common sight in US cities like San Francisco and Phoenix. Now, they're setting their sights on London too, with plans for their own driverless robotaxi service. It seems like London is becoming a testing ground for this kind of technology, and I'm honestly here for it.
While I remain cautiously optimistic, I think we're moving closer to a future where autonomous vehicles are a regular part of our lives. I'm curious to see how this unfolds and what kind of impact it will have on our cities and our transportation habits. It will be revolutionary.
Source: The Verge