Uber and Pony.ai to Launch Robotaxis in London

Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle maker Pony.ai will begin testing Pony.ai's Gen-7 robotaxis in London within weeks, the two companies said on Thursday, in the latest step of Uber's push to put driverless cars on European streets.

The London launch extends a partnership that began in May 2025 and has already produced a live service in Croatia. Uber and Pony.ai plan to deploy 2,000 robotaxis across Europe, starting with Zagreb.

How will the London service work?

The companies said the London service will follow a similar model to Zagreb's, but they have not said who will own and operate the fleet.

The Zagreb template offers a clue. In August 2026, Uber and Pony.ai launched an autonomous ride-hailing service there with a third partner, Verne, the startup set up by Rimac Group founder and CEO Mate Rimac. The division of labor:

• Pony.ai supplies the autonomous driving system and the Arcfox Alpha T5 robotaxi, developed with Chinese automaker BAIC.
• Verne owns and operates the fleet.
• Uber provides access to its ride-hailing network.

Uber has struck deals with more than 30 autonomous vehicle companies over the past few years. It expects to offer autonomous vehicle trips in as many as 15 cities globally by the end of 2026, roughly split between U.S. and international markets.

Who else is Uber backing in London?

Pony.ai will not be Uber's only robotaxi partner in the British capital. Uber has also partnered with and invested in British self-driving startup Wayve, and plans to launch a Wayve-powered robotaxi service in the city as well.

Wayve raised $1.2 billion in a February 2026 funding round that drew investments from Microsoft, Nvidia and Uber. The total could reach $1.5 billion thanks to an additional $300 million from Uber, contingent on Wayve deploying robotaxis, starting in London.

The multi-partner strategy repeats elsewhere. In Dubai, Uber has struck separate robotaxi deals with Baidu and WeRide.

For Pony.ai, London marks another step in a broader international push. The company has launched robotaxi services in four Chinese cities, secured partnerships with local transportation authorities, and is expanding into European and Middle Eastern markets, including Qatar.

The coming weeks of London testing will show whether Pony.ai's Gen-7 platform can clear the regulatory and operational bar in one of Europe's most competitive ride-hailing markets — and whether Uber can convert its 30-plus partnerships into a durable lead over rivals racing to deploy autonomy at scale.