Uber and Pony.ai to Deploy 2,000 Robotaxis Across Europe

Uber expands robotaxi footprint with Pony.ai fleet

U.S. ride-hailing company Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle developer Pony.ai announced plans Friday to deploy 2,000 self-driving taxis across Europe and expand their robotaxi partnership into the Middle East.

The expansion builds on the companies' commercial robotaxi service launched in Zagreb, Croatia in late March 2026, which they describe as Europe's first such offering. The new deployment will extend to four additional European cities, though the companies did not disclose which locations or provide a specific timeline.

Why it matters

Fleet size determines the commercial viability of autonomous ride services. Larger deployments generate more operational data to demonstrate safety to regulators, improve route efficiency, and increase service availability—all factors that drive consumer adoption. Uber's strategy positions it as a platform aggregator rather than a vehicle manufacturer, allowing it to partner with multiple autonomous technology providers while collecting cross-platform data that could accelerate the entire industry's development.

Competition intensifies in European autonomous market

The announcement comes as multiple robotaxi operators target European expansion. Alphabet-backed Waymo operates the world's largest autonomous fleet with approximately 5,000 vehicles, concentrated primarily in the United States. The company is testing rides in London and reportedly established new entities in four major European Union economies in June, according to details first reported by CNBC. Waymo also confirmed it is engaging with officials globally to establish groundwork for international operations, with plans underway in Tokyo.

Chinese competitors Baidu Apollo Go and WeRide are similarly accelerating European testing and deployment plans. WeRide and Uber announced in June they would launch Spain's first robotaxi pilot in Madrid later this year. WeRide also partners with Uber in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Uber positions as autonomous vehicle platform

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated earlier this month that the company aims "to become the world's leading commercialization platform for autonomous vehicles." The strategy centers on aggregating what Khosrowshahi described as "a super set of data" that Uber can share with partners to accelerate autonomous vehicle development.

On Thursday, Uber's Japanese subsidiary signed an agreement with a local taxi operator to manage daily fleet operations for a robotaxi test deployment in Tokyo later this year.

Pony.ai is scheduled to release quarterly earnings Tuesday.

These details were first reported by CNBC.