Uber Technologies Inc will expand its robotaxi services to include Hong Kong and Madrid as the ride-hailing giant pours hundreds of millions of dollars into the emerging industry.
Robotaxis will also be launched in Houston and Zurich, according to an earnings presentation on Wednesday. Hong Kong will be Uber’s first robotaxi market in Asia.
Uber plans to make driverless cars one of its key growth areas and aims to offer driverless vehicles in more than 10 markets globally by the end of 2026.
The company didn’t disclose specific details on exactly when the services would launch or which technology providers it will partner with, but a spokesperson said it will be with previously publicized partners.
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Uber’s partners include China’s Baidu Inc, which has a license to run small-scale driverless trials in Hong Kong, as well as WeRide Inc, which has an autonomous-driving license in parts of Switzerland.
Uber is battling Alphabet Inc’s Waymo in the nascent robotaxi market. Waymo offers driverless rides on the Uber app in Austin, Atlanta and Phoenix through a multiyear partnership.
It also competes with Uber in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami via its own ride-hailing app.
Uber also offers driverless rides in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh with WeRide, and with Avride in Dallas.
The company has previously announced that it plans to launch autonomous vehicles in the coming years in San Francisco Bay Area, in partnership with Lucid Group Inc and Nuro Inc; in London, with Baidu and Wayve Technologies Ltd; in Munich, with Beijing Momenta Technology Co; and in Los Angeles, with Volkswagen AG.
