Your reservation is at 8. The Tube's a nightmare. Every Uber in a five-mile radius has surge-priced itself into a different tax bracket. You're standing on wet pavements doing the maths, and the maths aren't working.
Waymo, the Google-backed driverless taxi company that's been quietly ferrying people around San Francisco, LA and Phoenix for years, has begun its London pilot. And according to Tech Radar, you'll be able to book one to your favourite bar before the year is out.
Driverless cars are coming to London.
What actually is Waymo?
The Waymo app works similar to Uber, you choose your pickup, set your destination, request a ride, and wait. When the car arrives, it flashes your initials on the roof so you can spot it. There's no small talk. No one is asking if you've had a good day. No ambient Radio 2. Just you, the car, and wherever you're going.
Inside, the experience is described as 'superbly smooth', the vehicle apparently drives with caution and confidence, sticks to the speed limit, and when you arrive, it parks somewhere sensible and reminds you to check for traffic before opening your door. Thoughtful, right?
Will Waymo actually work on London's complex streets?
Waymo's vehicles were designed for the wide grid system of Californian cities, which makes London's narrow, congested streets, winding medieval alleys, and pedestrians willing to dash across roads a wholly different challenge.
A Soho Saturday night, with its delivery bikes, groups spilling off pavements and roadworks, is definitely not Phoenix.
The technology itself relies on cameras, radar and LiDAR to
build a 360-degree map of everything around the vehicle, including
pedestrians, cyclists, road signs, other cars, in real time.
Whether that's enough to handle a Tuesday night in Brixton remains
to be seen.
When can you book a Waymo in London?
Waymo is running a pilot now, with a full public service targeting September 2026, massively depending on the UK Government's expected legislation. The initial fleet will be small, built around electric Jaguar I-Paces, with a broader rollout in London expected closer to 2027.
So you won't be booking one for this weekend's dinner. But you might, genuinely, be doing it before Christmas.
