WeRide and Uber Technologies plan to jointly launch Spain’s first commercial robotaxi pilot.
The operation is expected to begin later this year in collaboration with Madrid’s regional government, Comunidad de Madrid.
Rides will be available via the Uber app, with the transportation service carried out with Avomo, using WeRide’s autonomous driving technology.
Avomo, part of Moove Cars Group, is Uber’s AV fleet operations partner in Atlanta and Austin in the US.
The autonomous vehicles will initially have human operators in them, with the three companies “committed to adding hundreds of robotaxis as key performance milestones are met, including the expansion of fully-driverless commercial service across core urban areas”.
In United Arab Emirates, WeRide and Uber have fully-driverless commercial robotaxi services are in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with Riyadh in Saudi Arabia expected to follow.
WeRide uses its WeRide One universal technology platform and WeRide Genesis simulation platform in the Middle East, and expects this experience to enable a faster roll-out in the Spanish capital.
Madrid will be the fourth of the 15 cities where WeRide and Uber have agreed to operate together, with the remaining 11 cities to come by 2030.
“Launching driverless robotaxis in Madrid, one of Europe’s fastest-growing urban environments, demonstrates our ability to operate safely in complex real-world conditions,” says Dr. Tony Han, founder and CEO of WeRide.
“Together with Uber, we’re combining our autonomous driving technology with their mobility platform to accelerate commercialisation at scale,”
Sarfraz Maredia, global head of autonomous mobility & delivery at Uber, says: “With a clear regulatory path and strong local partners, Madrid is a natural place to become a leading European market for AVs. We’re excited to help shape the future of autonomous mobility in Europe together.”
Manuel Puga, CEO of Moove, called the Madrid roll-out an “important milestone in Avomo’s international expansion”.
“After nearly two years of close collaboration with Uber in the US, we are entering this next phase with a long-term vision and a strong commitment to building efficient, scalable operations across new markets.”