Uber joins robotaxi forces with both Pony.ai and WeRide
The partnership between Pony.ai and Uber is initially expected to launch in “a key market in the Middle East,” according to Uber, while the ride-hailing giant will also be expanding its cooperation with WeRide, which already includes the Middle East, to 15 further locations, including some in Europe.
Pony.ai & Uber
With Pony.ai and their collaboration with Uber in the Middle East, for an initial period, when customers go to book a ride, the Uber app will give them the option to book a Pony.ai autonomous vehicle. The offering will begin with a pilot phase that will involve the presence of a safety operator onboard “until the companies’ fully autonomous commercial launch,” according to Uber.
James Peng, the co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai, explained: “Partnering with Uber accelerates our shared mission to make autonomous mobility a real, everyday experience for more consumers around the world. By combining our proven autonomous systems with Uber’s unparalleled ride-hailing platform, we’re poised to set a new standard for the commercialisation of driverless services, starting in the Middle East before expanding to new markets.”
Less than two years ago, Pony.ai formed a joint venture with Toyota to mass produce and deploy driverless electric cars. Chinese subsidiary GAC Toyota Motor Co (GTMC) also signed the agreement. Under the trio’s plan, GAC Toyota will produce Toyota-branded electric cars, which Pony.ai will then equip with Level 4 autonomous driving technology. After the deal between Pony.ai and Uber was announced, Pony.ai shares surged in value.
WeRide & Uber
At the same time, Uber has announced that it has extended its partnership with WeRide. The two companies plan to offer robotaxi service in 15 additional cities across the Middle East and Europe over the next five years. WeRide and Uber already operate services in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
While Uber and WeRide have not revealed specifically in which cities they will offer their combined services, the statement issued noted that at least some of these will be in Europe.
“We are excited to take our partnership with Uber to new heights. Expanding into new cities across multiple continents reflects both companies’ confidence in our technology and our shared commitment to innovative, sustainable transportation solutions,” said Tony Han, founder and CEO of WeRide.
Tony Han was the former Chief Scientist of Baidu’s Autonomous Driving Unit before founding WeRide in Silicon Valley in 2017. The robotaxi company currently has offices in San Jose, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
“Today’s announcement – one of the biggest partnerships of its kind ever announced – is a significant milestone towards realising the promise of autonomous mobility in more places around the world,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. ”By leveraging Uber’s global scale, operational expertise, and leading marketplace technology, we are thrilled to partner with cutting-edge AV companies like WeRide to help them commercialise their vehicles and bring the benefits of autonomy to more riders.”
A flurry of Uber partnerships
Uber has recently announced a whole spate of different partnerships. Less than a month ago, Uber announced a partnership with Volkswagen for a robotaxi service with a fleet of thousands of autonomous vehicles in the US over the next decade, based on Volkswagen’s all-electric ID. Buzz. The rollout is due to start in LA later this year. In the USA, Uber also wants to cooperate with May Mobility, whose investors include BMW and Toyota.
For Europe, Uber has also announced a new partnership with the Chinese startup Momenta to introduce autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform in international markets outside the US and China. The offering will begin in Europe from early 2026 and, like in the Middle East with Pony.ai, initially with safety personnel on board.
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