Uber and WeRide Aim to Expand Robotaxi Services to 15 More Cities

Uber, in partnership with the Chinese autonomous vehicle company WeRide, is set to expand their commercial robotaxi service by launching it in an additional 15 cities over the next five years. This move comes after the rollout of their robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi five months ago.

As stated by the companies, the expansion will include a variety of cities across Europe. With this collaboration, WeRide’s robotaxi services will be available through the Uber app. This setup is similar to Uber’s relationship with Waymo, where Uber handles network routing and fleet management, while the autonomous vehicle company focuses on the AV technology.

Currently operating in Abu Dhabi, Uber and WeRide, who made their Nasdaq debut in late October, also intend to expand their services to Dubai. In Abu Dhabi, they work alongside local Tawasul Transport to manage fleet operations.

The planned 15 additional cities will predominantly be located outside of China and the U.S.

In the past two years, Uber has formed over 15 partnerships with various autonomous vehicle technology firms across the ride-hailing, delivery, and trucking industries. Recently, Uber announced collaborations with May Mobility from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Volkswagen, and the Chinese self-driving company Momenta.

Currently, its most significant partnership in the U.S. is with Waymo. Together, they are offering a Waymo on Uber service in Austin and are gearing up to introduce a similar service in Atlanta.