Uber plans to deploy more than 2000 robotaxis in Europe in partnership with Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai.

The expanded partnership builds on the existing deployment in Zagreb and targets four additional European cities.

Additional details about the rollout will be announced in phases and the expanded partnership also includes plans to deploy in the Middle East.

The agreement gives Pony.ai’s joint-deployment model a clearer path to commercial scale. The model brings together three core functions required to operate robotaxi services at scale: L4 autonomous driving technology; a mobility platform; and day-to-day fleet operations. It allows technology, platform and fleet partners to work together in the same market, while individual partners may also take on more than one role. Vehicle funding and ownership can sit with different partners depending on the market.

Under the expanded partnership, Pony.ai will provide its L4 autonomous driving technology, rider-experience and operational expertise developed through multiple large-scale robotaxi deployments while Uber will provide customer access through its global mobility platform, including booking, payment and customer service capabilities, alongside its growing network of human drivers.

Day-to-day fleet operations may be carried out by established local fleet partners selected for each market.

Pony.ai operates paid, fully driverless robotaxi services in China’s four tier-one cities, where it has achieved city-wide breakeven unit economics in multiple markets, validating its commercially sustainable model for operating robotaxis at scale.

The collaboration dates back to May 2025, when Pony.ai and Uber first announced plans to bring Pony.ai robotaxis onto the Uber platform in international markets. This year, the companies worked with Croatian mobility company Verne (www.letsverne.com) to launch Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, with Verne serving as the local fleet owner and operator.

“This expanded agreement marks an important new phase in the partnership between Pony.ai and Uber,” said James Peng, CEO of Pony.ai. “It reflects our shared commitment to bringing safe, reliable robotaxi services to more European cities. By combining Pony.ai’s proven autonomous driving technology and operational know-how with Uber’s global mobility platform and extensive market reach, we aim to build sustained commercial operations at scale across Europe and beyond.”

Sarfraz Maredia, head of autonomous mobility at Uber (www.uber.com), added: “The next chapter for autonomous mobility is about moving from individual launches to repeatable commercial scale. Together with Pony.ai, we’re combining advanced autonomous technology with Uber’s hybrid platform, on-the-ground experience and operational excellence, to build a model that can quickly and reliably expand across cities.”

Founded in 2016, Pony.ai has expanded its presence across China, Europe, Asia, Middle East and other regions.