Experience-hailing big Uber and Chinese language autonomous car startup Momenta plan to begin testing robotaxis in Munich, Germany beginning in 2026 – the primary continental European metropolis both firm has introduced publicly – with plans to increase to different markets.

The partnership was first unveiled in Could 2025, when Uber stated Momenta-powered autos would launch on its platform in Europe in 2026, initially with human security operators onboard to observe the autos and take management if wanted.

Momenta, based in 2016, is one in all China’s earliest autonomous car (AV) corporations. The Beijing-based startup has been testing self-driving automobiles in China since 2018 and is taken into account a significant participant within the nation’s aggressive AV market.

Uber’s transfer places it in direct competitors with different ride-hailing corporations increasing into Europe’s AV market. For instance, in August Lyft introduced a deal with China’s Baidu to deploy robotaxis throughout Europe beginning subsequent 12 months, starting with Germany and the UK. 

Momenta is one in all 20 world AV companions that Uber has introduced on board throughout its ride-hailing, supply, and freight companies. Uber says these partnerships have already generated an annualized charge of 1.5 million mobility and supply journeys.

Within the U.S., Uber provides Waymo’s robotaxis on its app in Austin, Atlanta, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Internationally, Uber has partnered with Momenta and different Chinese language AV startups, like WeRide and Pony.ai, to roll out robotaxis on the Uber platform within the Center East. Uber and WeRide at present supply AV rides in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, with plans to increase to Dubai. Uber and UK-based Wayve additionally lately introduced plans to launch public street trials of Degree 4 AVs in London. 

(Degree 4 autonomy means the car can function with out human intervention below sure circumstances.)

Uber stated in an announcement that it selected Munich as its European launchpad because of the metropolis’s engineering heritage and powerful automotive ecosystem. 

“Germany has formed the worldwide automotive business for greater than a century, and now Munich will assist form the long run with autonomous autos,” stated Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, in an announcement.

TechCrunch has reached out to Uber and Momenta to be taught whether or not they have already begun the certification course of in Germany but. Momenta might want to show to German regulators that its autos meet sure security requirements and have its designed working areas (known as “geo-fenced zones”) accredited by the authorities. 

The launch could possibly be Momenta’s first robotaxi deployment in Europe. The corporate has been working a service in Shanghai with plans for a industrial rollout with onboard security operators by the tip of this 12 months. As it really works to develop its Degree 4 capabilities, Momenta has additionally been working to deploy superior driver help programs (ADAS) with associate automakers, together with German manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. Momenta’s ADAS is already put in on 400,000 autos offered to prospects at present, in keeping with the corporate.