Robotaxis are coming to London, but will they make money? Opinion The arrival of driverless ride-hailing would not simply mark a technological milestone. It could also test whether autonomous mobility can ever become a profitable business, says Michael Lenox A black Jaguar SUV with no one behind the wheel pulls up on a London street. It’s electric and equipped with Waymo’s autonomous driving system. A passenger [...]
Cabbies face robotaxi squeeze as Addison Lee boss warns of ‘predatory pricing’ Transport & Infrastructure London’s cabbies could be priced out of the market unless regulators step in to curb “predatory pricing” from deep-pocketed tech giants, the boss of Addison Lee has warned. Chief executive Liam Griffin said companies like Waymo, Wayve or Tesla risk undercutting traditional operators by subsidising fares to win market share, echoing concerns from the early [...]
Waymo raises $16bn ahead of London launch AI Alphabet-owned Waymo has raised $16bn (£12.6bn), valuing the self driving vehicle company at $126bn, as its London launch edges closer. The investment round, led by Dragoneer, DST Global and Sequoia, comes as the firm steps up preparations for its UK debut, with its cars already spotted testing on the streets of the capital. London is [...]
Meta surges, Microsoft stumbles as Big Tech doubles down on AI spend January 29, 2026 Three members of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ Big Tech stocks – Meta, Microsoft and Tesla – gave investors an early read on the health of the AI boom after US markets closed on Wednesday. Meta shares jumped as much as nine per cent in after-hours trading after the Facebook owner posted record revenues and issued an [...]
Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Tesla: Big Tech earnings set to test AI bets January 27, 2026 This week marks one of the most consequential stretches of tech earnings season, with results due from Meta, Microsoft, Tesla and Apple, four giants that sit at the heart of both the market rally and the debate over whether Big Tech’s vast AI spending will ultimately pay off. It is the second-busiest week of the fourth-quarter earnings season, with 103 [...]
Waymo accelerates London rollout despite US safety probe January 26, 2026 Waymo is stepping up preparations for its UK rollout after its driverless vehicles were spotted on the streets of London, as the Alphabet-owned firm faces safety scrutiny in the US. The self-driving vehicle firm has confirmed it is testing its robotaxis in the capital ahead of a planned passenger launch this year, marking its second [...]
Robotaxis are coming – how will London respond? January 7, 2026 The planned launch of autonomous ride services, starting with Uber in 2026, marks a major shift for London’s streets, repositioning mobility as a software-governed infrastructure that will redistribute control over pricing, liability and data, says Paul Armstrong A structural shift is forming on London’s streets, and too many businesses are still treating it as a [...]
Waymo’s Black Mirror moment raises questions for London launch December 30, 2025 Waymo’s robotaxi fleet hit a high-profile snag last weekend, turning a San Francisco blackout into something out of a tech dystopia. A substation fire left a third of the city without power, traffic lights went dark, and Waymo’s autonomous cars, normally lauded for their ability to handle tricky intersections, stalled in droves. Videos across social [...]
How AI took the wheel in 2025 December 27, 2025 2025 was the year artificial intelligence (AI) took the driver’s seat, literally. Not just in boardrooms or on trading floors, but increasingly on the tarmac, in showrooms, and behind the wheel itself. From record-breaking EV sales in the UK and Europe to autonomous taxis navigating San Francisco streets and preparing to arrive in London next [...]
Musk’s robotaxi launch: Can Tesla rival Waymo? June 23, 2025 Tesla has kicked off its long-promised robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, using a small fleet of modified Model Ys. The rollout, which began on Sunday, represents the company’s first paid, passenger-carrying trial – and a critical test of its camera-only self-driving vision. The service is limited to geo-fenced neighbourhoods, avoids airports and complex intersections, and [...]