Uber Is Bringing Thousands Of Chinese Robotaxis To Europe As Its Driverless Push Gets Bigger

Uber is increasing its bet on driverless taxis, teaming up with Chinese autonomous-driving company Pony.ai to deploy 2,000 units across Europe as competition to commercialize self-driving technology intensifies.

The companies also plan to expand their partnership into the Middle East, significantly widening an alliance that has already put commercial robotaxis on the streets of Croatia.

The 2,000 vehicles will be introduced across four additional European cities, although the companies have not disclosed which markets they are targeting or provided a precise timeline for the rollout.

CNBC reported that the expansion follows the March launch of a commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb involving Uber, Pony.ai and Croatian autonomous-driving company Verne.

That service, which the companies have described as Europe's first commercial robotaxi operation, provides a blueprint for a much larger expansion across the continent.

The latest deal also highlights a broader shift in Uber's autonomous-driving strategy. Instead of trying to develop all the underlying self-driving technology itself, Uber is positioning its ride-hailing network as the platform through which autonomous-vehicle developers can reach customers at scale.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said earlier this month that Uber's goal is to become the world's leading commercialization platform for autonomous vehicles, according to comments from the company's earnings call cited by CNBC.

Uber's growing list of partnerships suggests that strategy is moving quickly.

The company is already working with Chinese autonomous-driving developer WeRide on robotaxi operations in the Middle East. In June, Uber announced that it would also work with WeRide and Spanish mobility company AVOMO on a robotaxi pilot in Madrid, expected to begin later this year.

Uber is pushing into Asia as well. The company announced Thursday that its Japanese subsidiary had partnered with taxi operator Hinomaru Kotsu on a robotaxi pilot in Tokyo. The local company will handle daily fleet operations during testing planned for later this year.

The partnerships put Uber in the middle of an increasingly global contest among autonomous-driving companies.

Alphabet-owned Waymo remains the industry's biggest commercial player, operating a fleet of roughly 5,000 autonomous vehicles, primarily in the United States. The company is also testing in London and has been laying the groundwork for expansion into other international markets, including Tokyo.

Chinese companies are moving aggressively overseas as well.

Baidu's Apollo Go and WeRide have been pursuing testing and commercial opportunities in Europe and the Middle East, turning regions outside China into an increasingly important battleground for autonomous-driving technology.

For Pony.ai, the Uber deal offers a route to scale its technology beyond China without having to build a consumer ride-hailing network from scratch. The company has already accumulated extensive operating experience at home, where China has become one of the world's biggest testing grounds for autonomous taxis.

Scale is particularly important for robotaxi operators because larger fleets generate more real-world driving data while spreading operating costs across more vehicles. That can help companies improve their systems, demonstrate safety to regulators and make services easier for passengers to access.

Uber brings another crucial piece of that equation: customers.

Its existing ride-hailing network allows autonomous-driving companies to place vehicles onto a platform already used by millions of passengers rather than spending years building their own customer base. Uber, meanwhile, can potentially benefit from autonomous vehicles regardless of which technology company ultimately dominates the industry.

The strategy marks a major evolution from Uber's earlier attempt to build its own self-driving technology. The company sold its Advanced Technologies Group to Aurora Innovation in 2020 and has since increasingly relied on partnerships to bring autonomous vehicles onto its platform.