London licenses self-driving cars as private hire vehicles — a UK first

Wayve / Uber / Transport for London — Transport for London granted private hire vehicle licences to a number of Wayve's autonomous Ford Mustang Mach-E cars in early August 2026, satisfying the "triple lock" — operator, driver and vehicle each licensed by the same authority — that London requires for paid trips. Rides remain supervised: a TfL-licensed driver sits at the wheel and can take over. Early trips for part of the 100,000+ interest list Uber built in eight weeks are due later this summer, before a public launch.