Uber, Wayve launch London's first robotaxi service with safety driver

Uber and British tech company Wayve are launching London's first self-driving taxi service on Thursday, giving residents a chance to use technology that's already available in many US cities and other parts of the world.

The two companies said they're starting with a small rollout of Ford Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles outfitted with Wayve's autonomous vehicle technology.

Compared with the US and China - countries where robotaxis operate autonomously in several cities, with no human driver - Europe has been taking a more cautious approach on self-driving cabs.

In London, there will still be a person behind the wheel overseeing the trip who can grab the wheel or tap the brakes if there's a problem.

Under the UK government's pilot framework, self-driving taxi operators like Uber and Wayve still need approval to operate without a human safety driver.

"That process is still playing out," and it's not clear how long it will take, said Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's head of autonomous ...