Uber and WeRide launch a robot service in Abu Dhabi

The ride-hailing giant Uber and the Chinese autonomous car technology company WeRide have launched a robot service in Abu Dhabi. The launch marks Uber’s first international autonomous vehicle offering.

Uber has been forging partnerships with autonomous vehicle companies in all sectors, including ride-hailing, delivery, and trucking. Other partners include Wayve, Serve Robotics, Aurora Innovation, Waabi, and others.

Still, investors are wary that incumbents like Uber won’t be able to compete with tech companies, like Waymo and potentially Tesla. On Thursday, Uber’s stock fell nearly 10% after Waymo announced plans to launch a robotic service in Miami – this despite the fact that autonomous vehicles’ disruptive disruption to the ride-hailing industry will take years, and that Uber may be one of them. applications where passengers end up connected to those robotaxis.

The launch of Uber and WeRide, which went public on the Nasdaq in late October, will be slow, according to an Uber spokesperson. Neither Uber nor WeRide have shared how many cars will hit Abu Dhabi’s roads initially. The first rollout will take place between Saadiyat Island, Yas Island, and routes to and from Zayed International Airport, with plans to expand in the future.

A human safety operator will be present in each vehicle to be launched, with a fully self-driving commercial launch planned for later in 2025.

Uber and WeRide will partner with local Tawasul Transport to handle fleet operations.