Uber and considered one of its many robotaxi companions, Momenta, will check absolutely driverless automobiles in Germany subsequent yr. The information comes as Europe continues to lag behind the US and China within the variety of commercially operational robotaxi companies.
The businesses say they’ll check Stage 4 autonomous automobiles in Munich beginning in 2026. (Stage 4 describes absolutely driverless automobiles, with out security drivers, that may function anyplace inside an outlined geographic space.) If the whole lot goes in response to plan in Munich, Uber says that Momenta robotaxis might be coming to further European cities within the years to return.
Momenta is predicated in Shanghai, the place it’s presently working its personal robotaxi service. Earlier this yr, Uber stated it might enable the corporate so as to add its robotaxis to its ridehailing platform, although it might be cities outdoors the US and China. Uber additionally stated that Momenta’s robotaxis would function security displays behind the wheel at launch, earlier than finally transitioning to completely driverless automobiles.
Momenta, which has obtained funding from China’s state-owned SAIC Motor, GM, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and Bosch, presently provides driver help software program to quite a few automakers, together with Mercedes and BMW.
Although it presently lags behind the US and China, Europe is beginning to see extra robotaxi motion that indicators the floodgates may quickly be open. Along with Uber and Momenta, China’s Baidu and Lyft plan on bringing driverless taxis to the UK and Germany in 2026. Volkswagen has additionally been testing autonomous automobiles in Germany for a number of years, and lately stated it might launch its personal robotaxi service with — you guessed it — Uber in Los Angeles in 2026.
