Pony.ai, Uber plan deployment of over 2,000 robotaxis across Europe

Chinese autonomous driving startup Pony.ai and Uber Technologies said on Friday they have expanded their partnership, with plans to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across Europe as the companies push toward large-scale commercialization of driverless mobility services.

The expanded partnership will build on an upcoming commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, Croatia, available through Uber's platform, and extend to four additional European cities.

The companies also plan to explore deployments in the Middle East, with further details to be announced later.

The agreement marks a shift from pilot projects toward broader commercial operations, as autonomous driving companies seek to scale beyond limited testing zones and establish sustainable business models.

Pony.ai will provide its Level 4 autonomous driving technology, along with operational experience gained from large-scale robotaxi deployments, while Uber will offer access to its global mobility platform, including booking, payment and customer service functions. Local fleet operators will support daily vehicle operations in individual markets.

The companies said the partnership model combines three key elements needed for robotaxi services at scale: autonomous driving technology, a mobility platform and fleet management capabilities.

Pony.ai currently operates paid, fully driverless robotaxi services in four major Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

The company said it has achieved city-level breakeven unit economics in multiple markets, highlighting the commercial potential of its autonomous driving operations.

The partnership builds on cooperation announced in May 2025, when Pony.ai and Uber said they would bring robotaxis onto the Uber platform in international markets.

Earlier this year, the companies worked with Croatian mobility firm Verne to launch what they described as Europe's first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, with Verne acting as local fleet owner and operator.

"This expanded agreement marks an important new phase in the partnership between Pony.ai and Uber," Pony.ai founder and CEO James Peng said in a statement.

"By combining Pony.ai's autonomous driving technology and operational know-how with Uber's global mobility platform and market reach, we aim to build sustained commercial operations at scale across Europe and beyond," he said.

Uber's Global Head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery Sarfraz Maredia said the next stage of autonomous mobility would be moving from individual launches to repeatable commercial deployment.

"Together with Pony.ai, we're combining advanced autonomous technology with Uber's hybrid platform and operational experience to build a model that can expand across cities," he said.