Uber and WeRide, a Chinese autonomous vehicle technology company, are set to expand their commercial robotaxi partnership, aiming to introduce the service in an additional 15 cities over the next five years. This expansion follows the launch of their robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi five months ago.
The new cities will include locations in Europe, with WeRide’s robotaxi services accessible via the Uber app. This collaboration mirrors Uber’s arrangement with Waymo, where Uber manages network routing and fleet operations while the autonomous vehicle company focuses on the vehicle technology.
Currently, Uber and WeRide operate together in Abu Dhabi and have plans to extend their service to Dubai. In Abu Dhabi, they collaborate with local company Tawasul Transport for fleet operations.
The upcoming 15 cities will primarily be outside of China and the United States. Over the past two years, Uber has secured more than 15 partnerships with various autonomous vehicle technology firms across ride-hailing, delivery, and trucking sectors. Recently, Uber announced deals with May Mobility, Volkswagen, and the Chinese self-driving company Momenta.
In the U.S., Uber’s most notable partnership is with Waymo, which is already operational. The two companies provide a Waymo on Uber service in Austin and are preparing to launch a similar service in Atlanta.
