Uber and Pony.ai plan to bring 2,000 robotaxis to Europe

In Brief Posted: 3:44 AM PDT · August 14, 2026 Image Credits: Uber / Rimac Kirsten Korosec Uber and Pony.ai plan to bring 2,000 robotaxis to Europe Chinese autonomous vehicle maker Pony AI and Uber plan to bring 2,000 robotaxis to four cities in Europe as part of an expanded partnership. The announcement illustrates the growing ambitions of both companies to carve out market share in the nascent robotaxi industry. Uber has partnered with more than 30 autonomous vehicle companies , including Pony.ai, over the past several years. Pony.ai, meanwhile, has launched in four Chinese cities and has locked in partnerships with local transportation authorities in an effort to bring its robotaxis to European and Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar. Uber and Pony.ai didn’t share a timeline for when these robotaxis would be deployed, or name the cities in which they’d launch, only saying that details would be revealed in phases. The companies’ now-expanded partnership does appear to have cleared up some of the terms, with Pony.ai’s “joint-deployment model” getting a clearer path to commercial scale. This means that the Guangzhou, China-based company will supply the autonomous vehicle technology, while Uber will provide its vast ride-hailing platform. Fleet management, which would include maintenance, cleaning, and charging, can be handled by a local provider, according to the companies, and the robotaxi fleet may be owned by different partners depending on the market. Uber and Pony.ai first partnered in May 2025 with a focus on the Middle East . Earlier this year, Uber and Pony.ai turned to Europe and announced plans to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, Croatia with local company Verne. Topics Pony.ai , robotaxis , Transportation , Uber October 13 – 15 San Francisco Scale faster. Grow your portfolio. Gain practical expertise. No matter your goal, Disrupt can empower you. Save up to $300 toda y! REGISTER NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news TechCrunch Daily News Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage. TechCrunch Mobility TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight. Startups Weekly Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly. StrictlyVC Provides movers and shakers with the info they need to start their day. No newsletters selected. Subscribe By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . Related Transportation Ford on track to complete $2B factory overhaul for Fathom EV truck Kirsten Korosec 19 hours ago Apps Grubhub’s $24M FTC settlement is finally reaching diners and drivers Lauren Forristal 2 days ago Security Uber Freight reportedly investigating after hacking group claims data breach Zack Whittaker 2 days ago Latest in Transportation In Brief Uber and Pony.ai plan to bring 2,000 robotaxis to Europe Kirsten Korosec 31 minutes ago Transportation Ford on track to complete $2B factory overhaul for Fathom EV truck Kirsten Korosec 19 hours ago Security Uber Freight reportedly investigating after hacking group claims data breach Zack Whittaker 2 days ago