Uber and Pony.ai plan robotaxi tests in London within weeks

London’s black cabs have survived Uber, congestion charges and decades of tourists asking for directions. Now they may have to share the road with cars that have no one driving. Uber and Pony.ai announced on October 8, 2026, that they plan to begin road testing Pony.ai’s Gen-7 robotaxis in London in the coming weeks. The goal is to eventually fold those vehicles into Uber’s existing ride-hailing network in the city. London does not hand out easy wins. Narrow streets, heavy foot traffic and road layouts older than the internal combustion engine make it one of the harder places to teach a car to drive itself. What Uber and Pony.ai are planning The London tests build on an existing partnership between the two companies. Earlier in 2026, they launched what they describe as Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service with safety drivers, in Zagreb, Croatia. The broader ambition is considerably bigger than one city. The partners aim to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across five European cities as part of their expansion strategy. The vehicles in question are Pony.ai’s Gen-7 robotaxis, the company’s latest generation of autonomous cars. The plan is for riders to eventually hail them thro...