Uber Technologies, Inc has signed strategic partnerships with both Pony.ai and WeRide in the last week. The partnership with Pony.ai is expected to first launch in a key market in the Middle East later this year, with a goal of scaling deployments to additional international markets in the future. Once available, when a rider requests a qualifying ride on the Uber app, they may be presented with the option to have their trip fulfilled by a Pony.ai autonomous vehicle. During the initial pilot phase, these vehicles will have a safety operator onboard, until the companies’ fully autonomous commercial launch.
This is a key step in Pony.ai’s global expansion strategy, leveraging its established ecosystem to showcase robust technological readiness. Pony.ai’s seventh-generation autonomous driving system facilitates the mass production of robotaxis on a more scalable and cost-effective basis, according to the company.
“At Pony.ai, our vision is to develop autonomous driving technology that is not only safe and reliable but also scalable, transforming daily transportation,” said Dr. James Peng, co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai. “Partnering with Uber accelerates our shared mission to make autonomous mobility a real, everyday experience for more consumers around the world. By combining our proven autonomous systems, with Uber’s unparalleled ride-hailing platform, we’re poised to set a new standard for the commercialization of driverless services, starting in the Middle East before expanding to new markets.”
“Our partnership with Pony.ai is another meaningful step towards introducing the benefits of autonomous mobility to the world,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. “As the leading on-demand platform of its kind, spanning mobility, delivery, and freight, Uber is uniquely positioned to help accelerate the commercialization of this exciting technology.”
Expanded strategic partnership with WeRide
Meanwhile Uber has also announced a significant expansion of its strategic partnership with WeRide, adding 15 additional cities globally over the next five years, including in Europe. Following a successful launch in Abu Dhabi and soon Dubai, the companies have committed to expanding their autonomous vehicle partnership to several new cities each year, all outside of the US and China. In these cities, WeRide’s robotaxi services will be available through the Uber app, and Uber will be responsible for fleet operations.
“We are excited to take our partnership with Uber to new heights. Expanding into new cities across multiple continents reflects both companies’ confidence in our technology and our shared commitment to innovative, sustainable transportation solutions,” said Tony Han, founder and CEO of WeRide. “This expansion aligns with WeRide’s ambitious strategy for global growth – to make autonomous driving solutions more affordable and accessible to people worldwide.”
“Today’s announcement – one of the biggest partnerships of its kind ever announced – is a significant milestone towards realizing the promise of autonomous mobility in more places around the world,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. “By leveraging Uber’s global scale, operational expertise, and leading marketplace technology, we are thrilled to partner with cutting-edge AV companies like WeRide to help them commercialize their vehicles and bring the benefits of autonomy to more riders.”