Uber has teamed up with Chinese autonomous-vehicle outfit Pony.ai to bring robotaxis to London, with road testing set to begin within weeks.
According to TechCrunch. the companies intend to put Pony.ai’s seventh-generation self-driving vehicles through their paces on London’s streets before introducing a commercial service. They have yet to announce when passengers can climb aboard.
The move extends an increasingly cosy relationship between Uber and Pony.ai, which began in May 2025 with plans to introduce autonomous taxis in the Middle East. The partnership has since expanded into Europe, with ambitions to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across the continent.
The pair already have a service operating in Zagreb, Croatia, where they teamed up with local transport company Verne in August 2026. The arrangement involves Pony.ai supplying its autonomous driving technology and the Arcfox Alpha T5 robotaxi, developed with Chinese carmaker BAIC.
Verne, established by Rimac Group founder and chief executive Mate Rimac, owns and operates the Zagreb fleet. Uber supplies the booking platform, providing passengers with access to the vehicles through its existing ride-hailing network.
London is expected to follow a similar arrangement, although neither company has revealed who will own or operate the British fleet. Details about vehicle numbers and the commercial launch remain conspicuously absent.
Uber has been collecting autonomous driving partners with considerable enthusiasm. The company has agreements with more than 30 autonomous vehicle businesses and expects to offer self-driving journeys in as many as 15 cities worldwide before the end of 2026.
Pony.ai faces competition within Uber’s own London operations. The American company has invested in British autonomous-driving developer Wayve, which secured $1.2 billion in funding in February 2026 from investors including Microsoft, Nvidia, and Uber. Uber could invest another $300 million if Wayve deploys robotaxis, beginning in London.
Uber appears perfectly comfortable backing competing technologies. It has struck separate agreements with Chinese autonomous driving companies Baidu and WeRide for robotaxi operations in Dubai, presumably reasoning that having several horses in the race improves its chances of owning the winning betting slip.
Pony.ai already operates robotaxi services in four Chinese cities and has secured relationships with local transport authorities as it expands internationally. Its overseas ambitions extend beyond Europe into Middle Eastern markets, including Qatar.
For London, the immediate challenge will be getting the technology through testing and regulatory approvals. Pony.ai has not yet specified when its vehicles will enter passenger service or whether initial trials will require human safety drivers.
