Uber is expanding its autonomous mobility ambitions through a new partnership with Chinese robotaxi operator Pony.ai. The companies plan to deploy 2,000 self-driving taxis across Europe and extend their partnership into the Middle East.
Uber and Pony.ai began commercial robotaxi operations in Zagreb, Croatia, in March. The companies described the service as Europe’s first commercial robotaxi operation.
Under the latest agreement, the partners will expand services to 4 additional European cities. They have not yet disclosed the cities or provided a specific timeline for the rollout.
Building a sufficiently large fleet is considered important for the commercial development of autonomous vehicles. A larger number of vehicles can generate more operational data, support safety assessments by regulators and improve efficiency. Wider availability could also encourage greater customer adoption.
Alphabet-backed Waymo remains a leading global robotaxi operator, with a fleet of around 5,000 vehicles, primarily operating in the US. The company is testing its service in London and has also been preparing for expansion across several European markets.
Waymo is also planning operations in Tokyo and has said it is working with officials globally to “lay the groundwork for global operations”.
Chinese autonomous driving companies are also increasing their presence in international markets. Baidu’s Apollo Go and WeRide are expanding testing and planning autonomous ride services in Europe.
Uber has partnerships with several of these operators. In June, Uber and WeRide announced plans to launch a robotaxi pilot in Madrid later this year. The companies also operate partnerships in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Uber’s Japanese subsidiary has separately signed an agreement with local taxi operator Hinomaru Kotsu to manage daily fleet operations for a robotaxi test deployment in Tokyo later this year.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has said the company aims “to become the world’s leading commercialization platform for autonomous vehicles”.
As part of that strategy, Uber is also seeking to build “a super set of data” that can be shared with partners to support autonomous vehicle development.
Pony.ai is scheduled to report its quarterly earnings on Tuesday.
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