Pony.ai and Uber Target Europe With 2,000 Robotaxis
Synopsis
The ride-hailing giant and Chinese autonomous-driving firm will expand their Zagreb partnership into four more European cities, with no rollout date set.
Pony.ai Uber robotaxis to enter broader Europe after launch in Croatia, with more than 2,000 vehicles planned for five European cities.
The companies have signed a deal to extend their commercial operations beyond Zagreb, Croatia, where Pony.ai's technology has been deployed since May 2025.
The two partners, Pony, and Verne, have not disclosed further details about where and when the additional four cities will be selected in Europe.
First Commercial Robotaxis in Europe
China and the U.S. have taken the lead in the race toward driverless cars and other forms of automated transportation, leaving Europe far behind.
As commercial operations of robotaxis are only available in a handful of countries, the expansion of Pony.ai Uber robotaxis marks the beginning of a long-awaited development in the field.
According to the IEA Autonomous Vehicles report published in May 2026, the global number of robotaxis has increased by over fifty percent to cross 8,000 in 2025, with operations already underway in twenty cities.
The commercialization of robotaxis has been concentrated in China, the U.S., with the Emiratis also launching services in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
While independent taxi testing has begun in Europe, Japan, and South Korea, according to the IEA, robotaxis face the prospect of being deployed in another region where commercialization has not been widespread.
Pony.ai Revenue and Fleet Expansion
The most recent figures that can provide insight into the company's plans for expansion are contained in the latest quarterly earnings report from Pony.
The company's first-quarter revenue climbed 145 percent year over year to $34.3 million, with the lion's share of that coming from robotaxis, which generated $8.6 million, an increase of 395.4% year-over-year. Pony.ai saw a net loss of $53 _. 5 million dollars in revenue for the quarter.
Moreover, according to the data, Pony has managed to increase the total number of robotaxis by more than 1,400 vehicles to date and expects to serve twenty plus cities by the end of this year.
The European expansion will place a Chinese autonomous driving start-up in the company of a U.S.-based ride-hailing giant in one of the regions where the commercialization of driverless taxis has been slow to date.
Source: Bloomberg
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
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