Study trip in London

Context

London has rapidly transformed into a key global testing ground for autonomous mobility, spurred by the UK's enabling regulatory landscape and the city's intricate urban road network. The capital is witnessing an influx of major industry heavyweights, notably Waymo preparing its commercial driverless rollout, UK-based Wayve partnering with Uber for app-integrated autonomous rides, and Baidu’s Apollo Go launching road tests in tandem with Freenow by Lyft. While these developments signal a new era of urban transport, they also introduce pressing operational and governance challenges for municipal authorities and Transport for London (TfL). TfL must navigate delicate trade-offs, including preventing robotaxis from competing directly with public transit networks like buses and the Tube, managing curb congestion, ensuring stringent road safety and data privacy compliance, and easing economic tensions with traditional black cab and private hire drivers while trying to integrate automated fleets into London’s broader transit ecosystem.

Objectives

1. Analyze Governance and Regulatory Frameworks: Examine how TfL and UK policymakers implement national AV legislation locally to balance rapid commercial innovation with stringent public safety, liability, and data privacy standards.

2. Evaluate Technological Maturity and AI Paradigms: Assess how competing AV architectures—such as Waymo’s sensor-dense, high-definition mapping approach versus Wayve’s mapless, end-to-end embodied AI—handle London's complex urban realities, including narrow historic streets, aggressive road users, adverse weather, and unpredictable edge cases.

3. Benchmark Commercialization and Partnership Models: Investigate the operational strategies and platform integration approaches of key market entrants, such as Wayve's integration with Uber and Waymo's driverless expansion tactics.

4. Evaluate Integration with Public Transit Networks: Study how London coordinates AV operations with core public transport systems (buses, Tube) to foster complementary multimodal travel while preventing route cannibalization and added congestion.

5. Assess Infrastructure and Curb Space Management: Conduct field observations on how the city adapts physical urban infrastructure, digital mapping, and curb access to accommodate robotaxi pickup and drop-off logistics.

6. Gauge Stakeholder Impact and Public Acceptance: Map strategies for managing socio-economic transitions, including addressing tensions with traditional black cab and private hire driver networks while building overall public trust in driverless technology.

Players and organisations we plan to meet

Usefull content and videos

Price

2.500€ without taxes

What's included ?

• Participation in the full program: tests, visits and meetings

• 2 nights hotel stay (4 stars)

• Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) included

• Local transport travel

What's not included ?

• International tranport

• Visa application procedures if applicable

  
  

Partners