Madrid is to become the first city in Spain to deploy a commercial robotaxi pilot.
Chinese company WeRide will supply the robotaxi, AVOMO will manage the fleet and rides will be available on the Uber app. The service will begin with trained safety operators behind the wheel and is expected to launch later this year.
“Launching driverless robotaxis in Madrid, one of Europe’s fastest-growing urban environments, demonstrates our ability to operate safely in complex real-world conditions,” said Dr. Tony Han, CEO of WeRide.
“Together with Uber, we’re combining our autonomous driving technology with their mobility platform to accelerate commercialization at scale.”
Madrid marks the first time WeRide and Uber have entered the European market together. It is part of a wider agreement made between the two firms to bring autonomous vehicles to 15 cities. The milestone builds on their launches in the Middle East, where fully driverless robotaxi services are already in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The Region of Madrid is an attractive European market for AV players due to its strong mobility demand, a large urban population and favourable policies.
Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery at Uber, commented: “With a clear regulatory path and strong local partners, Madrid is a natural place to become a leading European market for AVs.”
AVOMO, an autonomous vehicle operators company of Moove Cars Group, will run the operations and maintenance of the self-driving fleet, and currently manages over 400 AVs in partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta.
“After nearly two years of close collaboration with Uber in the United States, we are entering this next phase with a long-term vision and a strong commitment to building efficient, scalable operations across new markets,” added Manuel Puga, CEO of Moove Cars Group.
No precise launch date, fleet size or fare was disclosed.