Uber and China’s Pony.ai plan to launch robotaxis in London

Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle maker Pony.ai plan to launch a robotaxi service in London as part of an expanded partnership to bring driverless cars to Europe. The two companies said on Thursday that they would begin testing Pony.ai’s Gen-7 robotaxis in London in the coming weeks.

The announcement is the latest instance of Uber’s ambitious push into autonomous vehicle technology through a growing web of partnerships and investments. The ride-hailing company has struck deals with more than 30 autonomous vehicle companies, including Pony.ai, over the past few years as it seeks to capture a share of the autonomous delivery and ride-hailing markets.

Uber expects to offer AV trips in as many as 15 cities globally by the end of 2026, roughly split between U.S. and international markets.

Uber and Pony.ai first partnered in May 2025, initially focusing on the Middle East. The relationship has since expanded to Europe, where it plans to deploy 2,000 robotaxis, starting with Croatia’s capital, Zagreb.

In August 2026, the companies launched an autonomous ride-hailing service in Zagreb with a third partner, Verne. Under that arrangement, Pony.ai supplies the autonomous driving system and the Arcfox Alpha T5 robotaxi, developed with Chinese automaker BAIC. Verne, a startup set up by Rimac Group founder and CEO Mate Rimac, owns and operates the fleet, while Uber provides access to its vast ride-hailing network.

The London service will follow a similar model, although the companies have not said who will own and operate the fleet.

Pony.ai won’t be Uber’s only robotaxi partner in London. The company has also partnered with and invested in British self-driving startup Wayve, and plans to launch a robotaxi service in the city.

In February 2026, Wayve raised $1.2 billion in a funding round that saw investments from Microsoft, Nvidia and Uber. The total funding in that round could reach $1.5 billion thanks to an additional $300 million from Uber, contingent on Wayve deploying robotaxis, starting in London.

Uber has pursued this multi-partner strategy elsewhere. In Dubai, for instance, it has struck separate deals with Baidu and WeRide to launch robotaxi services.

Pony.ai, meanwhile, has launched robotaxi services in four Chinese cities and secured partnerships with local transportation authorities as it works to expand into European and Middle Eastern markets, including Qatar.

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Kirsten Korosec is a reporter and editor who has covered the future of transportation from EVs and autonomous vehicles to urban air mobility and in-car tech for more than a decade. She is currently the transportation editor at TechCrunch and co-host of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast. She is also co-founder and co-host of the podcast, “The Autonocast.” She previously wrote for Fortune, The Verge, Bloomberg, MIT Technology Review and CBS Interactive.

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