Wayve, Nissan and Uber have officially partnered with Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE UK) to promote the safe, transparent and responsible deployment of self-driving technology across the UK.

Wayve, Nissan and Uber are the first members to join PAVE UK

The global leaders in self-driving vehicle technology and deployment become the first members to join PAVE UK and will work together to drive public trust and support the responsible deployment of self-driving vehicle technology. The move comes ahead of autonomous vehicle trials in London later this year, which will see Wayve-powered robotaxis take the road through commercial trials with Uber.

Launched in 2024, PAVE UK is the nation’s first initiative dedicated to delivering accurate, inclusive public education on self-driving technology. The organisation was co-founded by a powerful coalition, including the Department for Transport, the Department for Business and Trade, the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), Transport for West Midlands, and WMG at the University of Warwick.

PAVE UK will bring Wayve, Uber and Nissan together to collaborate on scientifically backed public engagement to ensure responsible future deployment of automated vehicles across the country. Wayve and Uber plan to deploy autonomous vehicles in London this year as part of an initial trial that will further public engagement and understanding of the technology.

Nissan’s involvement will build on work by its technical centre in the UK, which has spearheaded projects such as HumanDrive, ServCity and evolvAD to show the real-world potential of autonomous driving.

David Moss, senior vice president, research and development, Nissan Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania (AMIEO), said: “Our partnership with PAVE UK is the next step, raising public engagement and trust so that people are ready to embrace this fantastic technology as it becomes reality.”

PAVE UK will communicate safety to the general public, including the benefits and limits of this new transport technology. It will also develop principles of responsible self-driving vehicle deployment – such as the role of safety operators in initial trials – and work closely to provide learnings with the government, general public and the wider industry.

Professor Siddartha Khastgir, director of PAVE UK and head of safe autonomy at WMG, University of Warwick, said self-driving technology can only fully achieve its goals of safer, more accessible cities if the public genuinely trusts and accepts it.

He continued: “We are proud to welcome Wayve, Nissan UK and Uber as the new PAVE UK members. Through this significant partnership, we will open the floor for two-way conversations with the public, bridging the communication gap between the technology and the general public. This demonstrates our collective commitment to enabling safer, publicly endorsed self-driving technology in the UK.”

Sarah Gates, Wayve’s vice president, global affairs, legal and assurance, said: “Introducing autonomous rides in London to the public later this year builds on Britain’s heritage for transport innovation. Getting it right matters and initiatives such as PAVE UK are how the industry advances autonomy transparently – educating the public and building the trust that turns a new technology into something people rely on every day.”