Driverless cars are coming to the UK – but the road to autonomy has bumps ahead

Waymo plans London robotaxis as early as 2026, but the history shows hype, hesitation and a few missed turns

The age-old question from the back of the car feels just as pertinent as a new era of autonomy threatens to dawn: are we nearly there yet? For Britons, long-promised fully driverless cars, the answer is as ever - yes, nearly. But not quite.

A landmark moment on the journey to autonomous driving is, again, just around the corner. This week, Waymo, which successfully runs robotaxis in San Francisco and four other US cities, announced it was bringing its cars to London.