Fully self-driving  Jaguar I-Pace SUVs used by US firm Waymo have begun testing in the UK.

They have arrived 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 has begun testing in London – and some of the first vehicles in the fleet of specially adapted I-Paces have been spotted by Autocar.

Waymo – which already runs driverless taxi schemes in six US states and has recently expanded into Japan – will be joined on the scheme in the spring by Uber. The taxi firm will work with mapping service Wayve for its fleet of driverless cars.

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

UK transport minister Heidi Alexander said when it was announced last year: "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 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.