Uber and Pony.ai to deploy 2,000 robotaxis in Europe

Uber and Pony.ai have expanded their autonomous driving agreement with plans to deploy over 2,000 robotaxis across five European cities. The expansion builds upon an existing commercial service in Zagreb, Croatia, which is the first of its kind in Europe. The service in Zagreb utilizes technology from Pony.ai and is managed by the Croatian company Verne.

The partnership follows a collaborative model where Pony.ai provides Level 4 autonomous driving technology, Uber provides the customer-facing platform for bookings and payments, and local operators handle fleet maintenance and charging. While the specific four additional European cities and the timeline for deployment have not been disclosed, the companies intend to roll out the service in phases. The agreement also includes provisions for deployment in the Middle East.