Uber, Pony.ai plan over 2,000 robotaxis across Europe

US ride-hailing company Uber and Chinese autonomous-driving firm Pony.ai announced an expanded partnership Friday to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across Europe.

The partnership will expand from an existing commercial service in Zagreb, Croatia, to four additional European cities, according to a joint statement. The companies did not identify the cities or provide a detailed rollout timetable.

The expanded agreement also includes plans to deploy robotaxis in the Middle East, with further details expected to be announced in phases.

Under the partnership, Pony.ai will provide its Level 4 autonomous-driving technology, passenger-experience systems and operational expertise developed through large-scale deployments in China.

Uber will provide access to customers through its mobility platform, including booking, payment and customer services.

Daily fleet operations may be handled by established local partners selected for each market, while vehicle ownership and financing arrangements may vary by location.

“The next chapter for autonomous mobility is about moving from individual launches to repeatable commercial scale,” said Sarfraz Maredia, Uber’s global head of autonomous mobility and delivery.

Maredia said the companies would combine Pony.ai’s autonomous technology with Uber’s platform, local experience and operational capabilities to develop a model that could expand rapidly across cities.

Pony.ai founder and CEO James Peng said the expanded agreement represented “an important new phase” in the companies’ partnership.

“By combining Pony.ai’s proven autonomous driving technology and operational know-how with Uber’s global mobility platform and extensive market reach, we aim to build sustained commercial operations at scale across Europe and beyond,” Peng said.

The companies began their collaboration in May 2025 with plans to introduce Pony.ai robotaxis to Uber’s platform in international markets.

In 2026, they worked with Croatian mobility company Verne to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, with Verne serving as the fleet owner and operator.

Pony.ai currently operates paid, fully driverless robotaxi services in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.