Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous driving unit, is preparing to launch a commercial robotaxi service in London by 2026… marking its first European venture and a significant step in the company’s global expansion beyond the United States.

The company said on Wednesday it will begin testing its fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles on London roads in the coming months, with trained human safety drivers initially behind the wheel. Pending regulatory approval, fully driverless operations could begin next year. London will become Waymo’s second international city after Tokyo, where autonomous trials began earlier this year. The company already runs commercial ride-hailing services in several U.S. cities (including Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, and Atlanta) and plans to add Miami and Washington, D.C. to the list.

Waymo’s British operations trace back to 2019, when the company acquired Oxford University spin-out Latent Logic, which specialized in machine-learning models that simulate human driver behavior. That acquisition formed the backbone of Waymo’s Oxford engineering hub, which now develops testing and simulation systems for autonomous vehicles. The London service will be operated in partnership with Moove, a local fleet management firm that handles maintenance, charging, and logistics for electric vehicles. Moove already works with Waymo and Uber in the U.S. and will play a similar role in managing the robotaxi fleet in the UK capital.

Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said the company was “thrilled to bring the reliability, safety and magic of Waymo to Londoners,” adding that the launch would “make roads safer and transportation more accessible.” The UK government recently unveiled an accelerated framework for autonomous vehicle pilots, aiming to attract global self-driving investment. London also adopted its “Vision Zero” initiative, pledging to eliminate serious traffic injuries and fatalities by 2041… a policy that dovetails neatly with Waymo’s safety data.

According to the company, its vehicles are involved in five times fewer injury-causing crashes and twelve times fewer pedestrian collisions compared to human drivers. Waymo has logged over 100 million fully autonomous miles and more than 10 million paid rides across its U.S. markets. UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander praised the move as one that would “bring jobs, investment, and opportunities to the UK,” while Robin Spinks, head of inclusive design at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, described it as “the dawn of a new era in independent mobility options for blind and partially sighted people.”

Waymo is part of Alphabet’s experimental “Other Bets” division, which reported $373 million in revenue and a $1.25 billion operating loss in the latest quarter. Despite those losses, Alphabet continues to back the project as a long-term bet on a future of autonomous urban transport. Analysts say the London launch could serve as a litmus test for European regulatory attitudes toward self-driving technology… and a model for other capitals. With European cities’ dense traffic and strict safety standards, a successful rollout could establish Waymo as a global benchmark for urban autonomy.

Waymo’s London operations are expected to begin driverless trials by Christmas of this year, with public robotaxi rides targeted for full commercial launch in 2026… a move that would place the British capital alongside Phoenix and San Francisco as one of the few cities worldwide where passengers can hail a ride from a car with no human at the wheel.

At the time of publishing this article, Stocks.News holds positions in Google and Uber as mentioned in the article.