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

Uber and Pony.ai said on August 14, 2026 they will deploy 2,000 self-driving taxis across Europe and expand their robotaxi partnership to the Middle East. The companies did not name the four additional European cities or specify a timeframe.

The European expansion builds on a commercial robotaxi service launched in Zagreb, Croatia, in late March 2026, which the companies say is the first in Europe.

A larger fleet is critical to commercialization, generating more safety data for regulators and improving operational efficiency. Greater vehicle availability also encourages ridership, the companies said.

Alphabet-backed Waymo remains the global leader with about 5,000 vehicles, mainly in the U.S., and is testing rides in London. In June 2026, Waymo reportedly set up new entities in four major EU economies and has plans underway in Tokyo, engaging officials worldwide to lay groundwork for global operations.

Chinese rivals Baidu Apollo Go and WeRide are advancing autonomous ride plans in Europe. WeRide and Uber said in June 2026 they would launch Spain's first robotaxi pilot in Madrid later in 2026; the two already partner in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Uber's Japanese subsidiary signed an agreement on August 13, 2026 with a local taxi operator to manage daily fleet operations for a robotaxi test deployment in Tokyo later in 2026. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in August 2026 that Uber aims to become the world's leading commercialization platform for autonomous vehicles, partly by gathering a "super set of data" to share with partners and accelerate development.

Pony.ai is scheduled to release quarterly earnings on August 18, 2026.