tech
Uber partners with China's Pony.ai for 2,000 robotaxis in Europe
The rollout comes as robotaxi fleet sizes become increasingly critical for commercialization.
TL;DR
- Uber and Pony.ai plan to deploy 2,000 self-driving taxis in Europe.
- The partnership will expand to the Middle East.
- A commercial robotaxi service was launched in Zagreb, Croatia, in late March.
- The companies did not name the four additional European cities or provide a specific timeframe for the rollout.
- Having a large fleet is crucial for commercialization, data collection, regulatory approval, and operational efficiency.
- Competitors like Waymo, Baidu Apollo Go, and WeRide are also expanding their robotaxi services globally.
- Uber aims to be the world's leading commercialization platform for autonomous vehicles.
- Uber's Japanese subsidiary has an agreement for a robotaxi test deployment in Tokyo later this year.