Overview
- Pony.ai and Uber announced Friday that they will collaborate to deploy more than 2,000 Pony.ai robotaxis across Europe and to expand the program into the Middle East.
- Under the joint‑deployment model Pony.ai will supply Level‑4 autonomous driving technology, which can perform all driving tasks in defined areas without a human driver.
- The companies said the rollout will build on the commercial service already operating in Zagreb and target four additional European cities, but they did not name the cities or give a timetable.
- Vehicle ownership and funding will vary by market, with Uber providing app access, booking, payments and customer support while local fleet partners handle day‑to‑day operations.
- The move aims to scale safety and economics by growing fleet size to collect more driving data for regulators and to improve unit economics, and it positions the partnership against rivals such as Waymo, Baidu Apollo and WeRide.