Uber Expands Global Robotaxi Presence with Chinese Partnerships, Including Pony AI

Uber turns to Chinese companies to snap up robotaxi market share in Europe, Middle East | TechCrunch

Uber announced its third partnership with a Chinese autonomous vehicle company this week, revealing the ride-hail and delivery giant's appetite for global domination in the emerging robotaxi sector. Uber said Tuesday it would work with Guangzhou-based Pony AI, which late last year went public on the Nasdaq at a $5.25 billion valuation, to launch robotaxis on the Uber platform in "a key market in the Middle East" later this year. The Pony tie-up comes a day after Uber shared plans for two other strategic deals with Chinese firms: Momenta and WeRide. Uber said it would work with Momenta to launch robotaxis on its app in Europe in 2026, and with WeRide to expand into 15 cities across the Middle East and Europe over the next five years. Uber and WeRide have already launched a commercial robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi. The deals with Pony, Momenta, and WeRide add to Uber's growing list of more than 15 other autonomous vehicle partnerships across ride-hail, delivery, and freight. Most of Uber's partners, which include Waymo and May Mobility, are based in the U.S., with a few outliers like the UK's Wayve. As Uber faces perceived threats from companies like Tesla, which intends to launch its first robotaxi service in Austin next month, federal probes for allegedly misleading subscription practices, and an expected consumer spending pullback in 2025, the company is moving fast to reassure investors that there's still plenty of room for expansion. Pairing up with Chinese companies could be a smart way to achieve that growth. Chinese AV firms are already expanding internationally. Aside from Abu Dhabi, WeRide is operating commercial services in Beijing and France, and testing in several other markets across China and Europe. Pony offers paid robotaxi rides in three Chinese cities and recently began testing in Luxembourg. Waymo, the only AV company in the U.S. that's operating a commercial, driverless service today, has only just begun data collection in Tokyo. Pony's partnership with Uber opens up the firm to the Middle Eastern market. Uber already had a strong presence in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan - a presence that expanded in 2019 when Uber acquired its Middle Eastern rival Careem. In a press release, Pony said the goal of its Uber's deal is to scale deployment to additional "international markets" in the future. As with Uber's other launches, when Pony joins the app, Uber customers will have the option to have their trip fulfilled by an AV. During the initial pilot phase, the vehicles will have a safety operator onboard until the companies' full commercial launch. Uber's first-quarter earnings call is this week, so we'll likely get more color on the company's plans for growth -- including its move to acquire a controlling stake in a Turkish food delivery company -- and how it plans to navigate current challenges.

China's Pony AI Is Uber's Latest Robotaxi Partner in Middle East

Robotaxi company Pony AI Inc. will partner with ride hailing giant Uber Technologies Inc. to launch in the Middle East this year, as the auto industry's push into autonomous driving gathers pace. Once the system is rolled out, riders will be able to select Pony AI self-driving vehicles when booking a trip on the Uber app, Pony AI said in a statement on Tuesday. The cars will have a safety operator onboard during the initial pilot phase, though the vehicles will operate with Pony AI's fully autonomous service once they get approval from relevant authorities.

Uber partners with China's Pony AI to deploy self-driving taxis in key Middle East market

May 6 (Reuters) - Uber (UBER.N), opens new tab said on Tuesday it was partnering with Pony AI (PONY.O), opens new tab to deploy the China-based robotaxi developer's vehicles onto its ride-hailing platform, marking the latest in a series of tie-ups aimed at strengthening its presence in the fledgling robotaxi sector. The partnership will launch in a key market in the Middle East later this year and will roll out to more international markets in the future. During the initial pilot phase, Pony AI's vehicles will include a safety operator onboard before transitioning to a fully autonomous commercial launch. Uber has signed several new partnerships and expanded existing collaborations in recent weeks, aiming better compete with Lyft (LYFT.O), opens new tab and EV-maker Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab in the robotaxi market. The company announced deals with self-driving technology firms May Mobility and Momenta last week and recently expanded its partnership with China's WeRide (WRD.O), opens new tab to enter 15 more cities globally. Last year, the company also expanded its tie-up with Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Waymo. U.S.-listed shares of Pony AI, which debuted on Nasdaq in November, jumped nearly 13% in premarket trading, while Uber shares ticked 1% lower. Despite the engineering and regulatory hurdles, tech and EV companies have been racing to develop self-driving systems and eyeing large-scale commercial deployment of robotaxis. The U.S. federal government is also facilitating the deployment of self-driving vehicles by expanding exemptions from specific safety requirements while maintaining mandatory incident reporting. Founded in 2016 and backed by Toyota (7203.T), opens new tab, Guangzhou-based Pony AI has been exploring expansion into South Korea, Luxembourg, the Middle East and other countries. It currently has robotaxi service licences in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen and is seeking to launch the services in Hong Kong. Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Autos & TransportationADAS, AV & SafetySoftware-Defined VehicleSustainable & EV Supply ChainEV Strategy

Uber Inks Deal With Robotaxi Maker Pony AI, to Launch in Middle East This Year

Uber Technologies (UBER) and Chinese autonomous vehicle maker Pony AI (PONY) announced a partnership Tuesday to put Pony AI's robotaxis on Uber's platform. The companies will launch their collaboration in the Middle East later this year, and plan to expand to other markets later. Uber users in the covered areas will be able to select a Pony AI robotaxi for their trip, and the companies said all rides will come with a "safety operator" until Pony AI's fully autonomous software launches. "Partnering with Uber accelerates our shared mission to make autonomous mobility a real, everyday experience for more consumers around the world," Pony AI CEO Dr. James Peng said. The partnership is one of several Uber has made with autonomous vehicle companies, including Alphabet's (GOOGL) Waymo, WeRide (WRD), and others. Pony has also previously partnered with automakers like Toyota (TM) to develop and manufacture its robotaxis. Uber is set to report its first-quarter results on Wednesday. Shares of Uber were down about 1% in Tuesday morning trading, while Pony AI shares rose 4%.

Uber partners with China's Pony AI to deploy self-driving taxis in key Middle East market

Uber said on Tuesday it was partnering with Pony AI to deploy the China-based robotaxi developer's vehicles onto its ride-hailing platform, marking the latest in a series of tie-ups aimed at strengthening its presence in the fledgling robotaxi sector. The partnership will launch in a key market in the Middle East later this year and will roll out to more international markets in the future. During the initial pilot phase, Pony AI's vehicles will include a safety operator onboard before transitioning to a fully autonomous commercial launch. Uber has signed several new partnerships and expanded existing collaborations in recent weeks, aiming better compete with Lyft and EV-maker Tesla in the robotaxi market. The company announced deals with self-driving technology firms May Mobility and Momenta last week and recently expanded its partnership with China's WeRide to enter 15 more cities globally. Last year, the company also expanded its tie-up with Alphabet's Waymo. U.S.-listed shares of Pony AI, which debuted on Nasdaq in November, jumped nearly 13% in premarket trading, while Uber shares ticked 1% lower. Despite the engineering and regulatory hurdles, tech and EV companies have been racing to develop self-driving systems and eyeing large-scale commercial deployment of robotaxis. The U.S. federal government is also facilitating the deployment of self-driving vehicles by expanding exemptions from specific safety requirements while maintaining mandatory incident reporting. Founded in 2016 and backed by Toyota, Guangzhou-based Pony AI has been exploring expansion into South Korea, Luxembourg, the Middle East and other countries. It currently has robotaxi service licences in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen and is seeking to launch the services in Hong Kong.

Robotaxis Take the Wheel As Pony AI And Uber Team Up for International Rollout - Pony AI (NASDAQ:PONY)

Chinese autonomous driving Pony AI Inc. PONY shares are trading higher premarket on Tuesday after the company inked a strategic deal with Uber Technologies, Inc. UBER to deploy Pony.ai's robotaxis onto the Uber platform. This partnership will initially launch in a key Middle Eastern market later in 2025, with plans to expand to other international markets. Once the service is available, Uber app users in the selected market who request an eligible ride may have the option to be picked up by a Pony.ai autonomous vehicle. Also Read: Pony.ai Shares Volatile Amid Strategic Tencent Partnership And Hesai Lidar Integration: What's Going On? During this initial phase, a safety operator will be present in the vehicle until the companies achieve a fully autonomous commercial launch. This partnership marks a significant step in Pony.ai's global expansion strategy, utilizing its existing infrastructure to demonstrate its advanced technological capabilities. This technological progress supports the collaboration's strategic objectives, allowing Uber's platform to incorporate autonomous vehicles more rapidly and safely as the partnership extends to additional markets. In April, Pony AI shared plans to develop autonomous driving technology in partnership with Tencent Holdings' Tencent Cloud and deploy robotaxi services on Tencent's WeChat and other applications. Pony plans to release the first quarter 2025 results on May 20, 2025. Price Action: PONY shares are up 5.57% at $10.24 at the last check on Tuesday. Read Next: Pony AI, Hims & Hers And Frontdoor Are Among Top 11 Mid-Cap Gainers Last Week (Apr 28-May 2): Are The Others In Your Portfolio? Photo by Tada Images via Shutterstock PONYPony AI Inc$10.275.88%Stock Score Locked: Want to See it? Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Reveal Full ScoreEdge RankingsMomentum-Growth-Quality-Value8.56Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewUBERUber Technologies Inc$85.560.15% This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Why Pony AI Stock Is Skyrocketing Today | The Motley Fool

Pony, a Chinese autonomous vehicle company, will partner with Uber Technologies to deploy its technology in Middle East markets later this year. Uber announced Tuesday that it will partner with Pony AI to begin offering autonomous robotaxi services in key markets in the Middle East before expanding to additional global markets in the future. The rollout will begin with "safety operators" in the driver's seats until the human operators are phased out. The collaboration is a key partnership that helps Pony AI in its quest to expand globally. Currently operating in select Chinese cities, the company is already exploring expanding to South Korea, Luxembourg, and Hong Kong. The company had announced another partnership just weeks ago with the Chinese tech giant Tencent, boosting its profile. This latest partnership further validates the company's technology outside the Chinese market. Pony AI and Uber are up against big players with robotaxi aspirations like Tesla and Alphabet's Waymo. Competing with them is a tall order, but the company's strategy of partnering with larger, more established companies that already have massive user bases is a smart one. The company is still operating in the red and has relatively minimal sales, but that will change as the company's robotaxis are deployed globally. This is definitely a higher-risk stock, but if you have a tolerance for that, I think it's a good pick.

Uber partners with China's Pony AI to deploy self-driving taxis in key Middle East market

(Reuters) -Uber said on Tuesday it was partnering with Pony AI to deploy the China-based robotaxi developer's vehicles onto its ride-hailing platform, marking the latest in a series of tie-ups aimed at strengthening its presence in the fledgling robotaxi sector. The partnership will launch in a key market in the Middle East later this year and will roll out to more international markets in the future. During the initial pilot phase, Pony AI's vehicles will include a safety operator onboard before transitioning to a fully autonomous commercial launch. Uber has signed several new partnerships and expanded existing collaborations in recent weeks, aiming better compete with Lyft and EV-maker Tesla in the robotaxi market. The company announced deals with self-driving technology firms May Mobility and Momenta last week and recently expanded its partnership with China's WeRide to enter 15 more cities globally. Last year, the company also expanded its tie-up with Alphabet's Waymo. U.S.-listed shares of Pony AI, which debuted on Nasdaq in November, jumped nearly 13% in premarket trading, while Uber shares ticked 1% lower. Despite the engineering and regulatory hurdles, tech and EV companies have been racing to develop self-driving systems and eyeing large-scale commercial deployment of robotaxis. The U.S. federal government is also facilitating the deployment of self-driving vehicles by expanding exemptions from specific safety requirements while maintaining mandatory incident reporting. Founded in 2016 and backed by Toyota, Guangzhou-based Pony AI has been exploring expansion into South Korea, Luxembourg, the Middle East and other countries. It currently has robotaxi service licences in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen and is seeking to launch the services in Hong Kong. (Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

Pony AI Partners Uber to Roll out Robotaxi Services in Middle East

Chinese autonomous driving company Pony AI will work with Uber to roll out its robotaxi services as it pushes for large-scale commercialization. Users will have the option to choose Pony AI's robotaxis for their trips through the Uber app, Pony AI said Tuesday--noting the services will first launch in a key Middle Eastern market later this year--and will later expand to other international markets. During the initial pilot phase, there will be a safety operator on board in the robotaxis, Pony AI said. "By combining our proven autonomous systems, with Uber's unparalleled ride-hailing platform, we're poised to set a new standard for the commercialization of driverless services, starting in the Middle East before expanding to new markets," said Pony AI Chief Executive James Peng. Pony AI's American depository receipts rose 13% in the premarket session in the U.S. The move comes as Chinese robotaxis firms expand operations and aim for large-scale commercialization this year. Uber said on Monday that its partnership with Chinese self-driving firm WeRide will expand to 15 additional cities over the next five years. Pony AI's rival WeRide began its partnership with Uber in Abu Dhabi late last year. Pony AI plans to start mass production of robotaxis in mid-2025, aiming to expand its fleet to more than 1,000 vehicles from around 300 by the end of this year. The Chinese self-driving company has also cut the cost of its most advanced autonomous driving system by 70%, bringing it closer to achieving single-unit breakeven.