From Odds and Ends of History, November 18:
Britain's bet on Wayve could make a big splash – but we need to pay attention now
You might not have noticed, but Britain has made a big bet on self-driving cars.
It begins with Wayve, the UK’s leading self-driving company. They will be offering driverless rides through the Uber app from spring next year. If their ambitions are realised, this could redefine how we get around and, with it, our logistics industry and daily commutes.
But even if the tech proves itself, the adoption won’t be smooth. Changes to how we get around are always controversial. The organised opposition to robotaxis will arrive immediately, just as it did with Uber, and ULEZ.
And to be fair, the consequences of the transition will be widely felt, going beyond transport policy, with autonomous cars shaping jobs, safety rules, data rights, and the look and feel of our streets.
Here, though, is the most interesting thing. This could be a technological transition that Britain wins. Unlike personal computing, smartphones, and the current AI wave, where the innovation mostly happened elsewhere, and the conquering companies were headquartered in Silicon Valley, in the self-driving car war, Britain is uniquely well-placed to win.
Our designated National Champion
Just before the last election, Parliament passed the Automated Vehicles Act. As a result, several firms have announced their intentions to enter Britain, including industry giant Waymo, which is owned by Alphabet (aka Google).However, Wayve is the most interesting, as it isn’t just another self-driving startup with grand promises. They recently demonstrated their AI model can operate in new environments across multiple continents without retraining. It adapts to unfamiliar roads, traffic patterns, and weather conditions.
And the government is along for the ride.
Despite the country being massively cash-strapped, the government announced £36.5 million for automated mobility as part of a £150 million programme supporting the autonomous vehicle (AV) ecosystem. Here, Wayve is the clear frontrunner. So this is an intentional policy choice. Scarce resources are being allocated to support the company.
Can Wayve outscale Waymo?
The questions then are ‘How do we get this right?’, and ‘Can a British firm compete against a US tech giant?’.The competition will be tough, Waymo has over 100 million autonomous miles under their belt and operates in several US cities. Ride-hail statistics and the dominance of Uber imply that autonomy is a winner-takes-most market; therefore the government has a natural interest in the British firm winning. Fortunately, Wayve has found a way to compete despite the size disadvantage.
Wayve’s approach is unique and it could enable them to scale faster....
....MUCH MORE
Previously on Wayve:
December 2023 - HBR—AI Takes the Wheel: New Advances in Autonomous Driving
May 2024 - "Nvidia Backs UK Self-Driving Startup Wayve in $1 Billion Round"
