Driverless cars are coming to London – some time this year.
Waymo, Google’s driverless car division, has confirmed its self-driving cars will be fully operational by the end of 2026, assuming regulators give the go-ahead.
The phrase “Q4” was mentioned: corporate code for the last few months of the year.
There are around 24 Waymo vehicles currently roaming the streets of London, although they are driven by humans.
This is the mapping and data collection phase of the project.
The next phase will be testing with a safety driver at the wheel, following the code of practice laid out by the government for autonomous vehicles.
The third and final phase will be when the driverless cars hit the streets and Londoners can be driven to their destination by their car.
“Our intent is to open to riders later this year. That’s contingent on government approvals,” Waymo spokesperson Ethan Teicher told Sky News.
Waymo is working hard to win the approval of government – and their efforts seem to be succeeding.
A Waymo driverless taxi in lower Manhattan, New York City. Pic: Reuters
‘We’re not cutting corners’
Minister for local transport Lilian Greenwood MP enthusiastically greeted the news of Waymo’s arrival, saying: “We’re delighted that you chose London as your first European city.”
She said “government must be in the driving seat”, adding: “We’re committed to putting safety and security first.”
But the government is working with Waymo, she said, to develop “world leading” and “groundbreaking” regulation to speed up the arrival of self-driving cars.
“We’re definitely not cutting corners, but we are accelerating towards automated vehicles operating on our streets,” said Ms Greenwood.
Waymo emphasised the safety record of the cars, saying they were significantly safer than human drivers, especially for pedestrians or cyclists.
It also said there were other benefits, such as privacy in the car, and peace of mind and security for female passengers.
“Our sensors are able to perceive the world around them, much better, much more accurately and with more of a field of view than human drivers can,” said Nicole Gavel, head of business development and strategic partnerships at Waymo.
The car, she added, was able to achieve a “superhuman level of perception”.
However, many questions about exactly how Waymo will operate remain unresolved.
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For instance: how much of London will Waymo cover? It is currently testing in 19 boroughs, 13 less than the total, and Mr Teicher confirmed it will start in a small area, expanding out from there, although not exactly where that area will be.
Another question: is Waymo ready for London?
It has thus far operated in American cities, where jaywalking is a crime, and on the polite streets of Tokyo.
Will it be able to cope with the behaviour of London’s pedestrians? Or of London’s passengers?
“We see a lot of jaywalkers in San Francisco,” said Mr Teicher.
“Pedestrians in Los Angeles are different, but also something that we have to deal with. Same is true of every city that we operate in, Phoenix, Austin, Atlanta, and Miami. And in the UK, our pedestrian behaviour is tested and proven.”
One thing’s for sure: don’t expect a flood of driverless cars hitting London’s streets.
In San Francisco and the Bay Area, Waymo’s biggest market, it has around 1,000 vehicles. In Los Angeles, it has 700.
For this reason, Mr Teicher fended off concerns that the introduction of driverless vehicles would lead to a big increase in traffic, saying: “We’re going to be a drop in the bucket by comparison with the ride-hailing market”.
Although he did add that the tireless Waymos could be much more efficient than humans, so fewer cars could make more trips.
The proof, of course, will be in the pudding – or should we say, the driving. It seems we will find out soon enough whether robots really can tackle London’s streets.
