Fully self-driving taxis from US firm Waymo will take to UK roads next year as part of a new government-backed pilot scheme that aims to accelerate the launch of driverless tech in the country.

The ride-hailing service will begin in London and use a fleet of specially adapted Jaguar I-Pace SUVs. Waymo already runs driverless taxi schemes in six US states and has recently expanded into Japan, with its cars having driven more than 100 million miles.

Today’s announcement follows the confirmation in June that taxi firm Uber will also begin driverless trials next spring, working with mapping service Wayve.

Although personal driverless cars won’t be legal on UK roads under current legislation until the second half of 2027, a new government framework has allowed Waymo and Uber to run the technology before that date. 

UK transport minister Heidi Alexander said: "Cutting edge investment like this will help us deliver our mission to be world-leaders in new technology and spearhead national renewal that delivers real change in our communities.”

The arrival of driverless ride-hailing tech in the UK has been hailed as a “landmark” moment by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which said it is now up to the automotive industry and the government to “keep Britain at the forefront of global innovation”.

SMMT chief Mike Hawes added: “The anticipated arrival of self-driving cars in London next year is a landmark moment, tangibly translating the ambition of Britain’s advanced regulatory framework into a social and mobility revolution.”

Waymo, which already has engineering hubs in London and Oxford, said the services will “help achieve London’s transport priorities”, including a reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on the city’s roads.

The firm's co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, said Waymo “is making roads safer and transportation more accessible where we operate”, adding that “we’ve demonstrated how to responsibly scale fully autonomous ride-hailing”.

This has been backed by charity Road Safety GB director James Gibson. “Autonomous vehicles, such as Waymo, hold the potential to significantly improve road safety because, quite simply, the human driver is removed,” he said. 

Nissan has also been testing autonomous driving on UK roads. A fleet of Leafs took to both city and rural roads in a project that is said to have brought autonomous driving “one step closer to reality” in the UK.