Across the world, autonomous vehicles (AVs) are gradually seeing tentative integration into daily life, and in some parts of the world, they are already an almost trivial element of the daily commute.
But how did we get here? Ask anyone on the streets of Europe, and in a large portion of the continent they would probably tell you that AVs are ‘probably getting there, but not quite’.
What changed? How have a number of countries managed to adopt the technology and no longer think twice about a driverless journey? Well, necessity will always lead the way.
The rise of robotaxis throughout both China and, to a lesser extent, the United States, has been swift and effective. From Pony.ai’s presence in China to Waymo’s introduction in the US, autonomous vehicles are providing a service to hundreds of thousands of passengers across the globe.
Robotaxis are on the rise in areas in which the general public need them the most. Rural areas, those living where vehicle parking availability is near non-existent.
For people who are, for one reason or another, unable to own a personal vehicle, robotaxis provide a reliable, cost-effective solution.
At MOVE 2025 at the ExCel, London, audiences witnessed first-hand a number of companies looking to further expand their services into the ride-hailing industry, with talks from industry standard bearers such as the aforementioned Waymo and May Mobility, a company which proudly states its roots were firmly planted in ride-hail services.
During her presentation ‘Where are we heading with autonomous technology?’; May Mobility COO Kathy Winter spoke of just how crucial ride-hailing has become for any autonomous vehicle company, with scalability proving to be a key deciding factor in the overall adoption of the technology within the passenger transport industry.
Last year, the company launched a pilot programme in Detroit, Michigan, which aimed to reach less-able customers throughout the city, with both residents age 62 and older, or, those who live with disabilities, able to utilise the 68 stop service free of charge.
In implementing the service within Detroit, Kathy also praised the advantages in utilising the Multi Policy Decision Making (MPDM) approach in challenging situations and difficult climates, with an extra mention of the company’s deployment in the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan, which was first launched in 2019 and has seen great success.
During the panel The Age of Autonomous, which brought together a panel consisting of Helen Pan (General Manager & Board Director, Apollo Autonomous Driving USA LLC at Baidu), Gavin Jackson (Chief Executive Officer at Oxa), Pierre Pomper (CCO – Einride Autonomous Technologies at Einride) and Kathy Winter with moderation from Lukas Neckermann (Co-Founder and Board Member of PAVE Europe), the topic of discussion quickly pivoted toward the scaling of ride-hailing operations across large portions of the globe.
Discussing the topic of ride-hailing as an accessibility solution, Helen Pan noted that one of the key roles of autonomous technology should be to deliver mobility solutions to everybody, and that ride-hailing services should perform a key role in allowing those less able the freedom to travel without unnecessary barriers.
But it doesn’t just stop at accessibility: autonomous ride-hailing is allowing fares to become cheaper, too. Pan mentions that over the last decade, the cost of the technology has begun to shift downwards, allowing Baidu to offer their vehicle services at lower costs with each passing year.
However, one barrier preventing the introduction of a more ever-present autonomous ride-hailing service in the UK is something that has been talked about across the entirety of MOVE 2025: legislation.
Rules around the implementation of autonomous vehicles are, much like with micromobility, becoming increasingly more difficult to navigate, and as Neckermann comments, despite a large number of trials taking place across the country, things do not seem to be progressing past these initial testing phases.
These issues simply do not seem to apply to a select few areas of the world. Speaking of the advancement in technology, Pomper highlights the need for true alignment within Europe with a more streamlined, welcome regulatory framework, as well as an open relationship between investors and supply partners.
For autonomous vehicles and robotaxis to truly transform lives in the way that they are intended, it is clear that work must be done to accept them both culturally and legally. They, it would appear, have the potential to truly change the lives of those who need more accessible, affordable transport, but for that, the industry will need collaboration, a streamlined framework and the chance to truly prove itself to the general public.
