Uber and China’s Pony.ai plan to launch robotaxis in London
Quick Answer
Uber and Pony.ai are set to launch a robotaxi service in London, testing Pony.ai's Gen-7 model.
Quick Take
This partnership expands Uber's autonomous vehicle strategy, aiming for AV trips in 15 cities globally by 2026, with 2,000 robotaxis planned for Europe, starting in Zagreb.
Key Points
- Testing of Pony.ai's Gen-7 robotaxis in London begins soon.
- Uber aims for AV services in 15 cities by end of 2026.
- Partnership includes plans for 2,000 robotaxis in Europe.
- Wayve is another partner for Uber's London robotaxi initiative.
- Pony.ai has already launched services in four Chinese cities.
DeepSignal Analysis
What happened
Uber and Pony.ai are preparing to test robotaxis in London, expanding their partnership to include European markets. This initiative is part of Uber's broader strategy to offer autonomous vehicle trips in 15 cities worldwide by 2026, with a focus on deploying 2,000 robotaxis in Europe, starting in Zagreb.
Key evidence
- Uber and Pony.ai will begin testing the Gen-7 robotaxis in London in the coming weeks as part of their expanded partnership.
- Uber aims to provide autonomous vehicle trips in 15 cities globally by the end of 2026, with plans for 2,000 robotaxis in Europe, starting in Zagreb.
- Pony.ai has already launched robotaxi services in four Chinese cities and is looking to expand into European and Middle Eastern markets.
Why it matters
This partnership highlights Uber's aggressive approach to integrating autonomous vehicle technology into its operations, leveraging collaborations with multiple companies to enhance its service offerings. By entering the London market, Uber aims to strengthen its position in the competitive autonomous ride-hailing sector, which is rapidly evolving. The success of these initiatives could significantly influence the future landscape of urban transportation in Europe.
📖 Reader Mode
~3 min readUber and Chinese autonomous vehicle maker Pony.ai plan to launch a robotaxi service in London as part of an expanded partnership to bring driverless cars to Europe. The two companies said on Thursday that they would begin testing Pony.ai’s Gen-7 robotaxis in London in the coming weeks.
The announcement is the latest instance of Uber’s ambitious push into autonomous vehicle technology through a growing web of partnerships and investments. The ride-hailing company has struck deals with more than 30 autonomous vehicle companies, including Pony.ai, over the past few years as it seeks to capture a share of the autonomous delivery and ride-hailing markets.
Uber expects to offer AV trips in as many as 15 cities globally by the end of 2026, roughly split between U.S. and international markets.
Uber and Pony.ai first partnered in May 2025, initially focusing on the Middle East. The relationship has since expanded to Europe, where it plans to deploy 2,000 robotaxis, starting with Croatia’s capital, Zagreb.
In August 2026, the companies launched an autonomous ride-hailing service in Zagreb with a third partner, Verne. Under that arrangement, Pony.ai supplies the autonomous driving system and the Arcfox Alpha T5 robotaxi, developed with Chinese automaker BAIC. Verne, a startup set up by Rimac Group founder and CEO Mate Rimac, owns and operates the fleet, while Uber provides access to its vast ride-hailing network.
The London service will follow a similar model, although the companies have not said who will own and operate the fleet.
Pony.ai won’t be Uber’s only robotaxi partner in London. The company has also partnered with and invested in British self-driving startup Wayve, and plans to launch a robotaxi service in the city.
In February 2026, Wayve raised $1.2 billion in a funding round that saw investments from Microsoft, Nvidia, and Uber. The total funding in that round could reach $1.5 billion thanks to an additional $300 million from Uber, contingent on Wayve deploying robotaxis, starting in London.
Uber has pursued this multi-partner strategy elsewhere. In Dubai, for instance, it has struck separate deals with Baidu and WeRide to launch robotaxi services.
Pony.ai, meanwhile, has launched robotaxi services in four Chinese cities and secured partnerships with local transportation authorities as it works to expand into European and Middle Eastern markets, including Qatar.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Kirsten Korosec is a reporter and editor who has covered the future of transportation from EVs and autonomous vehicles to urban air mobility and in-car tech for more than a decade. She is currently the transportation editor at TechCrunch and co-host of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast. She is also co-founder and co-host of the podcast, “The Autonocast.” She previously wrote for Fortune, The Verge, Bloomberg, MIT Technology Review and CBS Interactive.
You can contact or verify outreach from Kirsten by emailing kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at kkorosec.07 on Signal.
— Originally published at techcrunch.com
Want this in your inbox every morning?
Daily brief at your local 8am — bilingual EN/中文, free.
More from TechCrunch
See more →
AI chip startup Etched defies skeptics, hits $10.3B valuation from big-name investors
AI chip startup Etched has achieved a $10.3 billion valuation after a $300 million Series C funding round, led by Sequoia and supported by notable investors like Andreessen Horowitz. The company claims to have developed innovative low-voltage chips for AI inference, significantly enhancing performance and reducing costs, with $1 billion in orders already booked.
