Uber and Pony.ai plan to bring 2,000 robotaxis to four European cities

Chinese autonomous vehicle maker Pony.ai and Uber plan to bring 2,000 robotaxis to four cities in Europe as part of an expanded partnership, underscoring both companies’ ambitions to carve out market share in the nascent robotaxi industry. Uber has partnered with more than 30 autonomous vehicle companies, including Pony.ai, over the past several years, while Pony.ai has launched in four Chinese cities and struck partnerships with local transportation authorities to bring its robotaxis to European and Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar.

Uber and Pony.ai didn’t share a timeline for when the robotaxis would be deployed or name the cities where they’d launch, saying only that details would be revealed in phases. The expanded partnership does appear to clear up some of the terms, giving Pony.ai’s “joint-deployment model” a clearer path to commercial scale: the Guangzhou-based company will supply the autonomous vehicle technology, Uber will provide its ride-hailing platform, and fleet management — maintenance, cleaning, and charging — can be handled by a local provider, with the robotaxi fleet potentially owned by different partners depending on the market.

Uber and Pony.ai first partnered in May 2025 with a focus on the Middle East. Earlier this year, the companies turned to Europe, announcing plans to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, Croatia, with local company Verne.

Why it matters

The deal shows robotaxi expansion increasingly running through partnerships that split technology, platform, and local operations across different companies — a model that could let Pony.ai and Uber scale into new markets faster than either could alone.