‘We don’t tell the car what it should do’: my ride in a self-driving taxi

Alex Kendall, the CEO of Wayve, climbed into the driver’s seat of one of the company’s electric Ford Mustangs and then did nothing as the car pulled up to a busy junction in King’s Cross by itself. The steering wheel spun, the car waited for a gap and then slipped smoothly into traffic.

The ride felt like a first flight: briefly unnerving, then ordinary, and after 20 minutes I was convinced Wayve’s system was a better driver than most humans. Robotaxis are poised to arrive in London after the Automated Vehicles Act of 2024, with the government working to approve self-driving taxis by the end of next year.

Wayve, in partnership with Uber, will join global players such as Waymo and Baidu.

United Kingdom, London

wayve, self-driving, robotaxis, kings cross, london, automated vehicles, uber, waymo, baidu, ford mustang