Uber and Chinese autonomous driving startup Momenta said on Monday they will begin deploying autonomous vehicles in early 2026 across international markets outside the United States and China.
In Europe, the first vehicles will begin operating in Munich, Germany, with pilot programs scheduled to roll out in the first half of the year.
As seen with Tesla’s Model Y robotaxis in Austin, Uber’s robotaxis will also include safety operators on board in the initial phase of the rollout.
Asked about the scale of the initial batch, Momenta’s European chairman Gerhard Steiger said the rollout remains under discussion, with no figures disclosed.
Momenta currently has more than 400,000 vehicles equipped with its technology. The company said it took 24 months to reach its first 100,000 vehicles, six months to reach the next 100,000, and only three months to add another 100,000.
“And by the end of this year in China, our first fleet of unmanned robotaxis will complete trial operations and enter commercial service — powered by our L4 Flywheel safety-first technology,” Steiger said at the IAA Munich presentation.
“By combining Uber’s ridesharing network with Momenta’s autonomous driving technology, the two companies aim to accelerate and deliver safe, scalable, and efficient robotaxi services,” the companies said in a joint statement.
Late last year, Reuters reported that Momenta’s backer Mercedes-Benz was planning for a “fresh investment” in the startup and to use thei technology in “at least four future models.”
In July, Uber announced a $300 million investment in US EV maker Lucid Motors and said it had acquired 20,000 SUVs over the past six years as part of a separate robotaxi program with autonomous driving startup Nuro.
