WeRide, Uber to launch commercial robotaxi service in Zurich

WeRide, a Chinese company specializing in autonomous driving technology, and Uber announced plans on Wednesday to launch commercial robotaxi services in the Greater Zurich Region in Switzerland.

The move marks their second joint deployment in Europe within weeks of announcing service plans in Madrid, Spain.

"Europe is a priority region for WeRide, and announcing two European markets in two weeks reflects the speed and efficiency of our expansion strategy," said Jennifer Li, CFO and head of International at WeRide.

The two said operations are expected to begin later this year in collaboration with Switzerland's Federal Roads Office. Rides will be available via the Uber app during launch, subject to regulatory approval.

Switzerland combines one of Europe's most advanced regulatory environments for autonomous driving with a high-value ride-hailing market – creating strong underlying unit economics for robotaxi services.

The WeRide-Uber fleet will scale progressively and in coordination with the authorities as performance milestones are met, including the transition to fully driverless commercial services in core urban areas.

The deployment reflects WeRide's asset-light operating strategy, leveraging established partners providing fleet investment and platform support to achieve scaled robotaxi commercialization.

With the Zurich launch, WeRide and Uber will offer robotaxi services in five of the 15 cities under their previous agreement, with plans to deploy tens of thousands of robotaxis on public roads globally.

Since late 2024, the two have launched robotaxi services across the Middle East, with fully driverless Robotaxi commercial services in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and public operations in Riyadh, providing a tested blueprint for expansion into Europe.

"Switzerland is a key market for autonomous mobility, combining forward-thinking regulation with a demand for high-quality ride-hailing solutions," said Sarfraz Maredia, global head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery at Uber.

"Our partnership with WeRide continues to gain momentum across Europe, and we are excited to apply our operational expertise to bring this next generation of autonomous rides to Zurich," said Maredia.