Uber, alongside Chinese autonomous vehicle firm WeRide, has announced a significant expansion of their commercial robotaxi partnership. The collaboration aims to introduce robotaxi services to an additional 15 cities worldwide within the next five years, following their recent launch of such a service in Abu Dhabi five months ago.
The new cities earmarked for this expansion include various locations across Europe. Under the terms of their partnership, WeRide’s robotaxi operations will be accessible via the Uber app, mirroring Uber’s existing arrangement with Waymo. In this setup, Uber manages the network and fleet logistics, while WeRide focuses on the technological aspects of the autonomous vehicles.
Both companies currently operate in Abu Dhabi, where they have teamed up with local operator Tawasul Transport to administer fleet management. Plans are also in the works to introduce the service to Dubai. The 15 new cities targeted for service expansion will primarily be outside of China and the United States, showcasing Uber’s intent to broaden its global footprint in the autonomous vehicle sector.
In recent years, Uber has established over 15 partnerships with various autonomous vehicle technology firms, covering diverse sectors such as ride-hailing, food delivery, and freight logistics. Notable collaborations in the last two months include engagements with Ann Arbor-based May Mobility, Volkswagen, and the Chinese self-driving company Momenta. However, the most notable and operational partnership in the U.S. remains with Waymo, with services currently in place in Austin and plans to launch in Atlanta.
This developments reflect an accelerating trend in the adoption and integration of autonomous vehicle technologies in urban transport solutions, with Uber positioning itself as a key player in this evolving landscape.
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