Uber partners with China's Pony.ai for 2,000 robotaxis in Europe

Backed by Uber and powered by Chinese company Pony.ai, Croatia's Verne has rolled out robotaxi services in the capital city Zagreb since spring 2026.

BEIJING — U.S. ride-hailing giant Uber is ramping up its global robotaxi coverage with operator Pony.ai.

The companies plan to deploy 2,000 of Pony.ai's self-driving taxis across Europe, and expand the robotaxi partnership to the Middle East, they announced Friday.

In late March, Uber and Pony.ai launched a commercial robotaxi service in Croatia's capital Zagreb — which they claim is the first in Europe.

The partnership announced Friday will roll out robotaxis to four other European cities. The companies did not name the cities or share an exact timeframe.

Having a large-enough vehicle fleet is critical for commercialization. The more cars available, the more data can be collected to demonstrate safety to regulators and boost operational efficiency. Greater availability encourages more people to use the service.

Alphabet -backed robotaxi operator Waymo is the global leader with a fleet of around 5,000 vehicles, primarily in the U.S. It is testing rides in London, and reportedly set up new entities in four major EU economies in June.

Waymo also has plans underway in Tokyo, and is engaging with officials around the world to "lay the groundwork for global operations," it said in a statement to CNBC.