Waymo has begun testing its autonomous vehicles on public roads in London as it prepares to launch a commercial robotaxi service this year. The company, owned by Alphabet, has been working towards this moment for months, with initial manual driving followed by autonomous tests.

A fleet of about 100 all-electric Jaguar I-Pace, equipped with Waymo’s self-driving system, now have a human safety operator behind the wheel as they navigate through a 100-square-mile area. The government must finalize trial program regulations before fully autonomous operation is possible.

Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov noted in a LinkedIn post that their AI is generalizing well and that mastering local nuances will pave the way for rider-only deployment. The company is investing locally, hiring staff and establishing AV service centers across London, while also working with emergency services to build the foundation for expansion.

London could be Waymo’s first international commercial market, but it faces competition from U.K.-based autonomous vehicle technology startup Wayve and Uber, which are also planning their own fully driverless robotaxi services in the city. Waymo is testing and preparing to launch in several other markets too, with 3,000 robotaxis already operating across eleven cities.