Pony.ai and Uber are preparing a major expansion of their autonomous ride-hailing partnership, with plans to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across Europe.
The expansion will build on the companies’ existing commercial robotaxi operation in Zagreb, Croatia, and is expected to bring autonomous rides to four additional European cities. The partners also plan to expand their collaboration into the Middle East, although specific markets and rollout timelines have not yet been announced.
The planned expansion represents a significant step beyond individual autonomous vehicle pilot programs, as Pony.ai and Uber aim to establish a scalable model for commercial robotaxi operations across multiple markets.
Pony.ai and Uber first announced their international partnership in May 2025, with the goal of bringing Pony.ai’s autonomous vehicles to Uber’s global mobility platform.
The companies moved closer to commercial operations in 2026 when they worked with Croatian mobility company Verne to launch Europe’s first commercial Pony.ai robotaxi service in Zagreb.
The service is also coming to the Uber platform, allowing passengers to book autonomous rides through the same app used for conventional Uber services.
Under the expanded agreement, Zagreb will serve as the starting point for a much larger European rollout. Pony.ai and Uber plan to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across four additional European cities, but they have not yet revealed which cities will be selected or when the full fleet will be operational.
Regulatory approval will be an important factor in determining the timing and scale of each launch.
How the Pony.ai and Uber Robotaxi Model Works
The partnership combines three key components needed to operate autonomous ride-hailing services at scale: Level 4 autonomous driving technology, a mobility platform and local fleet operations.
Pony.ai will provide its Level 4 autonomous driving system, along with the rider experience and operational expertise developed through its existing robotaxi deployments.
Uber will provide access to customers through its global mobility platform, including booking, payments and customer service. Uber’s growing network of human drivers can also remain part of its broader hybrid mobility model.
Local fleet partners will handle day-to-day vehicle operations in individual markets. Depending on the location, those partners can also provide vehicle financing and ownership.
The model gives each market flexibility while allowing Pony.ai and Uber to focus on their respective strengths.
In Zagreb, for example, Verne owns and operates the fleet, Pony.ai supplies the autonomous driving technology, and Uber provides the customer-facing mobility platform.
Pony.ai Already Operates Driverless Robotaxis in China
The European expansion builds on Pony.ai’s experience operating commercial autonomous vehicles in China.
The company currently operates paid, fully driverless robotaxi services in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Pony.ai says it has achieved city-level breakeven unit economics in multiple markets, providing an important foundation for its international expansion strategy.
That experience could help Pony.ai move more quickly from small-scale testing to commercial deployments in Europe and other regions.
The company is also working on additional European projects. In June, Pony.ai launched a pilot program in Luxembourg with Stellantis and Bolt, testing Level 4-capable vehicles based on the Peugeot e-Traveller and their integration with a ride-hailing platform.
The longer-term objective of such programs is to operate without safety drivers once regulatory and technical requirements are met.
What the Expansion Means for European Robotaxis
A fleet of more than 2,000 autonomous vehicles would put the Pony.ai-Uber partnership on a substantially larger scale than most European robotaxi pilot programs.
Rather than treating each city as an isolated project, the joint-deployment model is designed to make autonomous ride-hailing easier to replicate across different markets.
The approach also allows local companies to play a larger role. Vehicle ownership, financing and fleet operations can be assigned to partners familiar with the requirements of each individual market, while Pony.ai and Uber provide the technology and customer platform.
For passengers, the biggest change could eventually be the ability to request an autonomous ride directly through a familiar ride-hailing app.
However, the 2,000-vehicle target remains a future objective. Pony.ai and Uber have not disclosed the four additional European cities or provided a specific timetable for reaching the planned fleet size.
Pony.ai and Uber Expand Beyond Europe
The companies’ expanded agreement also includes plans to deploy robotaxis in the Middle East.
That gives Pony.ai another opportunity to take its autonomous driving technology into international markets while Uber can use its existing mobility infrastructure and customer base.
The partnership reflects a broader shift in the autonomous vehicle industry from technology demonstrations toward commercial operations. For robotaxis to become a mainstream transportation option, companies need not only autonomous driving technology but also vehicles, fleet management, regulatory approvals, customer access and sustainable operating economics.
Pony.ai and Uber are attempting to bring those pieces together through a single deployment model.
If the planned European expansion moves ahead, the partnership could become one of the more significant robotaxi deployments on the continent, potentially bringing thousands of autonomous vehicles to everyday ride-hailing services.
For now, the next major milestones will be the announcement of the four additional European cities, regulatory approvals and the start of commercial deployments beyond Zagreb.
