Driverless and autonomous vehicles (“AVs”) are moving from test tracks and pilot schemes to commercial deployment around the world. In the U.S. and China, robotaxi fleets and autonomous trucking services are proliferating. Similar developments are happening in the EU and UK. In London, the first commercial autonomous ride-hailing service launched in early September 2026, with a supervised fleet carrying paying passengers. In Germany, regulators have granted the first nationwide authorisations for Level 4 urban testing and cab-less Level 4 autonomous trucks. At the international level, UNECE has adopted the first global rules for fully driverless vehicles, as discussed in our earlier blog post here.

As AV technology matures, the regulatory and liability frameworks that will govern it are starting to emerge. This article provides an overview of the key developments that will affect autonomous vehicle manufacturers, and technology companies and mobility-service providers operating in this sector.