Journey-hailing large Uber and Chinese language autonomous automobile startup Momenta plan to start out testing robotaxis in Munich, Germany beginning in 2026 – the primary continental European metropolis both firm has introduced publicly – with plans to increase to different markets.
The partnership was first unveiled in Might 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 among China’s earliest autonomous automobile (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 deal with China’s Baidu to deploy robotaxis throughout Europe beginning subsequent yr, starting with Germany and the UK.
Momenta is one among 20 international AV companions that Uber has introduced on board throughout its ride-hailing, supply, and freight companies. Uber says these partnerships have already generated an annualized fee of 1.5 million mobility and supply journeys.
Within the U.S., Uber gives 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 increase to Dubai. Uber and UK-based Wayve additionally lately introduced plans to launch public street trials of Stage 4 AVs in London.
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(Stage 4 autonomy means the automobile can function with out human intervention beneath sure circumstances.)
Uber mentioned in a press release that it selected Munich as its European launchpad because of the metropolis’s engineering heritage and robust automotive ecosystem.
“Germany has formed the worldwide automotive trade for greater than a century, and now Munich will assist form the longer term with autonomous automobiles,” mentioned Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, in a press release.
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”) accredited by the authorities.
The launch could possibly 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 yr. As it really works to develop its Stage 4 capabilities, Momenta has additionally been working to deploy superior driver help methods (ADAS) with associate automakers, together with German manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. Momenta’s ADAS is already put in on 400,000 automobiles bought to prospects at present, based on the corporate.