Uber Technologies has announced a strategic partnership with Chinese autonomous driving start-up Momenta to launch self-driving taxi services in Europe.
The project is planned to start in early 2026. The collaboration marks Uber’s first venture with a Chinese developer of robotaxis, and beyond its home markets in the US and China.
While Waymo already offers fully driverless rides in select US and Chinese cities, Uber is more cautious. According to Momenta and Uber, the EU pilot program will initially include safety operators inside the vehicles, ready to take control if necessary.
Several partnerships
The country where Uber and Momenta plan to roll out the first robotaxis has not yet been disclosed. Belgium could be on the charts. Ford, for example, has received approval for autonomous driving functionality on its Mustang Mach-E, restricted to dedicated highway stretches.
The announcement comes as Uber ramps up its autonomous ambitions with a growing list of global partners. Earlier, Uber revealed a tie-up with May Mobility, a US-based robotaxi firm backed by Toyota, to deploy thousands of autonomous vehicles in the coming years.
Additionally, Uber is partnering with Volkswagen to integrate a similar number of its ID. Buzz electric vans into future self-driving services for operations in Texas. In this case, a backup driver will also be present in the first rollout phase.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the deal with Momenta lays the groundwork for more accessible and efficient ride-hailing. “This paves the way for a future where more riders can experience the benefits of reliable and affordable autonomous mobility,” he said.
More than 250,000 autonomous rides
Momenta brings significant experience, having conducted over 250,000 autonomous rides in China. CEO Xudong Cao called the partnership with Uber a “major milestone” for the company.
Its ambition is to expand its robotaxi technology into new international markets. The company is backed by major players, including General Motors, SAIC Motor, and an investment fund tied to Alibaba founder Jack Ma.
Uber’s autonomous strategy has evolved considerably since it sold its in-house self-driving unit, Aurora Innovation. Rather than develop the hardware and software itself, Uber changed to a platform approach, partnering with a growing ecosystem of AV developers. The company has inked deals with over a dozen firms across its ride-hailing, delivery, and freight divisions.
Long-term challenges
The announcement also comes just ahead of Uber’s first-quarter earnings release. Despite the long-term challenge posed by autonomous vehicles to Uber’s driver-based model, which competes with one another, investor sentiment around Uber remains high.
Meanwhile, the landscape for robotaxis continues to heat up. Tesla is preparing to begin testing its new Cybercab in Austin this summer. Waymo, with Uber cooperating in Austin and Atlanta, recently debuted autonomous taxis in Tokyo.
The pace of development signals that the autonomous ride-hailing space is intensifying despite setbacks. China, for instance, has tightened rules concerning approval and marketing of self-driving vehicles, after a series of accidents.
