Uber and its partner, Momenta, plan to launch tests for fully driverless cars in Germany beginning in 2026. This initiative is part of a broader trend where Europe is currently behind the United States and China in the number of operational robotaxi services.
The testing will involve Level 4 autonomous vehicles, which are capable of operating independently within a specific geographic area and do not require safety drivers. If the pilot in Munich proceeds successfully, Uber has indicated that Momenta’s robotaxis could expand to other European cities in the future.
Momenta, headquartered in Shanghai, is already operating a robotaxi service in its home market. Earlier this year, Uber announced its collaboration with Momenta, allowing the company to integrate its robotaxis into Uber’s ride-hailing platform, although the services will initially be in regions outside the US and China. Initially, these robotaxis will include safety monitors in the driver’s seat before transitioning to full autonomy.
Momenta has secured funding from several notable companies, including SAIC Motor, GM, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and Bosch, and it currently provides driver assistance software to various automakers, including Mercedes and BMW.
Despite Europe’s slower adoption of robotaxi services compared to the US and China, recent developments suggest a growing movement in this area. In addition to Uber and Momenta, Baidu and Lyft are also working on deploying driverless taxis in the UK and Germany by 2026. Volkswagen has been engaged in testing autonomous vehicles in Germany for several years and has announced plans to launch its own robotaxi service in collaboration with Uber in Los Angeles by 2026.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/772639/uber-momenta-l4-driverless-test-munich-robotaxi