Key facts
- Uber and Pony.ai plan to launch a robotaxi service in London.
- Testing of Pony.ai's Gen-7 robotaxis in London will begin in the coming weeks.
- Uber aims to offer autonomous vehicle trips in up to 15 cities globally by the end of 2026.
- Pony.ai supplies the autonomous driving system and robotaxis for the Zagreb service.
- Uber has also partnered with Wayve for a robotaxi service in London.
Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle maker Pony.ai are planning to launch a robotaxi service in London in the coming weeks, marking an expansion of their partnership into Europe. The companies will begin testing Pony.ai's Gen-7 robotaxis in the city soon.
This initiative is part of Uber's broader strategy to increase its presence in the autonomous vehicle market through various partnerships. The ride-hailing giant aims to offer autonomous vehicle trips in as many as 15 cities worldwide by the end of 2026, with a roughly equal split between U.S. and international locations.
The collaboration between Uber and Pony.ai began in May 2025, initially focusing on the Middle East. The partnership has since extended to Europe, with plans to deploy 2,000 robotaxis, starting with Zagreb, Croatia. In August 2026, they launched an autonomous ride-hailing service in Zagreb with Verne, a startup founded by Mate Rimac. In that arrangement, Pony.ai provides the autonomous driving system and the Arcfox Alpha T5 robotaxi (developed with BAIC), while Verne manages the fleet and Uber offers its ride-hailing network.
The London service is expected to operate under a similar model, though details on fleet ownership and operation have not yet been disclosed. Uber is also pursuing robotaxi services in London through a partnership with British self-driving startup Wayve. Wayve, which received significant investment from Uber in February 2026, plans to deploy robotaxis in the city.
Pony.ai has already established robotaxi services in four Chinese cities and is actively expanding into European and Middle Eastern markets, including Qatar.