Key Points

• Uber (UBER) shares rose 0.39% to $68.72 in midday trading as London robotaxi testing plans advanced
• Uber and Pony.ai plan to begin testing Gen-7 autonomous vehicles in London within the coming weeks
• Uber targets autonomous ride-hailing services in up to 15 cities worldwide by late 2026
• Pony.ai and Uber plan to deploy 2,000 robotaxis across European markets
• Uber's driverless vehicle network also includes partnerships with Wayve, Baidu, and WeRide

Shares of Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER) rose 0.39% to $68.72 in midday trading, recovering from earlier session losses, as the company advanced plans to bring robotaxis to London through a partnership with Chinese autonomous driving developer Pony.ai.

Under the arrangement, Uber and Pony.ai will begin testing seventh-generation (Gen-7) driverless vehicles in the British capital within the coming weeks, with testing set to precede the launch of commercial services. Pony.ai will supply its Gen-7 autonomous driving technology, while Uber will support passenger access through its ride-hailing platform. The companies have not identified the operator responsible for managing the London fleet.

Uber and Pony.ai Expand Robotaxi Operations Into London

The London initiative marks another step in Uber's efforts to expand autonomous transportation across international markets. Uber has established partnerships with more than 30 autonomous vehicle companies across different markets, with agreements covering both passenger transportation and delivery services as the company scales its driverless operations.

These partnerships allow Uber to access a range of vehicle technologies without developing every autonomous driving system internally, and the company maintains agreements with several autonomous driving developers to support region-specific deployment strategies. Uber expects autonomous rides to become available in up to 15 cities worldwide by December 2026, a rollout that includes American cities as well as international markets across Europe and the Middle East.

Pony.ai Partnership Builds on European Expansion

Uber and Pony.ai established their partnership in May 2025, initially targeting autonomous transportation services across the Middle East. The companies subsequently expanded their agreement into Europe and outlined plans to deploy 2,000 robotaxis across European markets.

Croatia's capital, Zagreb, became the partnership's first European operating location under the expanded arrangement. In August 2026, Uber and Pony.ai launched autonomous ride-hailing services in the city alongside Croatian mobility company Verne. Under that structure, Pony.ai supplies the autonomous driving technology, Verne manages the vehicle fleet and daily operations, and Uber connects passengers with the service through its existing ride-hailing platform.

The Zagreb operation uses Arcfox Alpha T5 vehicles developed through Pony.ai's collaboration with Chinese automaker BAIC. Verne oversees fleet operations while the partners coordinate technology integration and passenger services. The London deployment is expected to follow a similar commercial structure, which would make it the partnership's second European operating location, although fleet management details remain undisclosed.

Uber Strengthens Autonomous Vehicle Partnerships

Uber has also partnered with British autonomous driving company Wayve to develop robotaxi services in London. Wayve secured $1.2 billion in February 2026 through a funding round involving Microsoft, Nvidia, and Uber, and the financing could reach $1.5 billion through additional funding from Uber tied to robotaxi deployment. That arrangement gives Uber a second, separately developed route toward London robotaxi services alongside the Pony.ai testing program.

Uber maintains separate agreements with Baidu and WeRide to introduce autonomous ride-hailing services in Dubai, adding to its network of partnerships across the Middle East.

Pony.ai currently operates robotaxi services in four Chinese cities and continues to develop international transportation partnerships. The company is also pursuing expansion opportunities in Qatar and other European and Middle Eastern markets.

Across these markets, Uber's model pairs its ride-hailing platform with technology from autonomous driving developers and fleet operators, giving the company access to driverless vehicle technologies without building every autonomous driving system internally.

This article was originally published on Blockonomi.