Alphabet's Waymo plans to launch robotaxi services on London roads

Core Viewpoint - Alphabet's Waymo is set to launch its robotaxi services in London, marking its entry into the European market, with plans for commercial operations by 2026 pending regulatory approvals [1][2][10] Company Plans - Waymo will begin test drives in London with human safety specialists in the coming months, using Jaguar iPACE electric vehicles equipped with its autonomous driving system [2][5][7] - The company has established engineering teams in Oxford and London and will collaborate with Moove for fleet operations and maintenance [7] Safety and Performance - Waymo claims its vehicles are involved in five times fewer injury-causing collisions and twelve times fewer pedestrian-related incidents compared to human drivers, based on internal data [8] - The autonomous vehicles have logged 100 million fully autonomous miles and provided over 10 million paid rides to date [8] Market Context - The UK has introduced an accelerated framework for commercial pilots of autonomous vehicles to attract investment in self-driving technology [9] - Waymo operates approximately 1,500 vehicles in the US, serving over 250,000 paid trips per week, and is expanding its operations to Miami, Washington D.C., and New York City [6][11] Financial Overview - Waymo is part of Alphabet's "Other Bets" segment, which reported $373 million in revenue in Q2 alongside a loss of $1.25 billion [9] - Alphabet is scheduled to release its third-quarter results on October 29, amid a competitive global autonomous vehicle market [10]