Trip-hailing large Uber and Chinese language autonomous car startup Momenta plan to begin testing robotaxis in Munich, Germany beginning in 2026 – the primary continental European metropolis both firm has introduced publicly – with plans to develop to different markets.
The partnership was first unveiled in Could 2025, when Uber mentioned Momenta-powered automobiles would launch on its platform in Europe in 2026, initially with human security operators onboard to watch the automobiles and take management if wanted.
Momenta, based in 2016, is one in all China’s earliest autonomous car (AV) corporations. The Beijing-based startup has been testing self-driving vehicles in China since 2018 and is taken into account a serious participant within the nation’s aggressive AV market.
Uber’s transfer places it in direct competitors with different ride-hailing corporations increasing into Europe’s AV market. For instance, in August Lyft introduced a cope with China’s Baidu to deploy robotaxis throughout Europe beginning subsequent 12 months, starting with Germany and the UK.
Momenta is one in all 20 global AV partners that Uber has introduced on board throughout its ride-hailing, supply, and freight companies. Uber says these partnerships have already generated an annualized price of 1.5 million mobility and supply journeys.
Within the U.S., Uber provides Waymo’s robotaxis on its app in Austin, Atlanta, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Internationally, Uber has partnered with Momenta and different Chinese language AV startups, like WeRide and Pony.ai, to roll out robotaxis on the Uber platform within the Center East. Uber and WeRide at the moment supply AV rides in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, with plans to develop to Dubai. Uber and UK-based Wayve additionally not too long ago introduced plans to launch public highway trials of Stage 4 AVs in London.
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(Stage 4 autonomy means the car can function with out human intervention underneath sure situations.)
Uber mentioned in an announcement that it selected Munich as its European launchpad because of the metropolis’s engineering heritage and powerful automotive ecosystem.
“Germany has formed the worldwide automotive trade for greater than a century, and now Munich will assist form the long run with autonomous automobiles,” mentioned Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, in an announcement.
TechCrunch has reached out to Uber and Momenta to be taught whether or not they have already begun the certification course of in Germany but. Momenta might want to show to German regulators that its automobiles meet sure security requirements and have its designed working areas (known as “geo-fenced zones”) authorised by the authorities.
The launch may very well be Momenta’s first robotaxi deployment in Europe. The corporate has been working a service in Shanghai with plans for a business rollout with onboard security operators by the top of this 12 months. As it really works to develop its Stage 4 capabilities, Momenta has additionally been working to deploy superior driver help techniques (ADAS) with companion automakers, together with German manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. Momenta’s ADAS is already put in on 400,000 automobiles offered to clients at present, in response to the corporate.