Uber and Pony.ai Prepare to Roll Out 2,000 Robotaxis Across Europe

Pony AI, a Chinese firm specializing in autonomous vehicles, has joined forces with Uber to deploy 2,000 robotaxis across four cities in Europe as part of their enhanced partnership.

This initiative highlights the ambitions of both companies to establish a strong presence in the rapidly expanding robotaxi market. Recently, Uber has partnered with over 30 collaborators in the autonomous vehicle industry, including Pony.ai. Concurrently, Pony.ai has successfully launched services in four cities in China and is collaborating with local transportation authorities to advance its robotaxi operations in Europe and the Middle East, including Qatar.

Although Uber and Pony.ai have yet to announce a specific timeline for the introduction of these robotaxis or specify the cities involved, they have assured that more information will be disclosed soon. This strengthened partnership appears to clarify various aspects, particularly concerning Pony.ai’s “joint-deployment model,” which is progressing towards full commercial readiness.

In this collaboration, the Guangzhou-based company will supply the autonomous vehicle technology, while Uber will leverage its extensive ride-hailing network. Both firms have indicated that certain aspects of fleet management—such as maintenance, cleaning, and charging—may be outsourced to local service providers, with the ownership structure of the robotaxi fleet potentially varying by region.

Uber and Pony.ai first partnered in May 2025, initially focusing on the Middle Eastern market. Earlier this year, they redirected their efforts towards Europe, with plans to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, Croatia, in collaboration with the local company Verne.