Uber Expands Robotaxi Partnership in Europe

Uber, the US-based ride-hailing company, is intensifying its robotaxi efforts in Europe through an expanded partnership with Pony.ai, a Chinese autonomous driving company. This collaboration aims to bring safe and reliable robotaxi services to more European cities. ## Robotaxi Expansion in Europe The partnership between Uber and Pony.ai dates back to May 2025, when they first announced plans to bring Pony.ai's robotaxis onto the Uber platform in international markets. Since then, the companies have worked together to launch commercial robotaxis in Zagreb, Croatia. The latest development involves the deployment of over 2,000 of Pony.ai's self-driving taxis across four European cities. However, the exact cities involved in the rollout and the deployment timeline remain undisclosed by Pony.ai. ## Autonomous Driving in Europe The battle for autonomous driving is heating up across Europe, with several companies vying for a share of the market. Waymo has reportedly established entities in France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany, laying the groundwork for a European offensive. Uber and WeRide have also announced plans to launch a robotaxi pilot in Madrid this year, while Lyft is looking to bring robotaxis to Europe next year. Additionally, China's Baidu has undertaken test drives in Switzerland, and companies like BMW and Volkswagen are exploring autonomous driving technology. ## Partnership Goals According to James Peng, founder and CEO of Pony.ai, the expanded agreement marks an important new phase in the partnership between Pony.ai and Uber. The goal is to combine Pony.ai's proven autonomous driving technology and operational know-how with Uber's global mobility platform and extensive market reach to build sustained commercial operations at scale across Europe and beyond. This partnership reflects the shared commitment of both companies to bringing safe and reliable robotaxi services to more European cities.