WeRide and Uber have announced plans to launch commercial Robotaxi services in the Greater Zurich Region – marking their second joint deployment in Europe just weeks after announcing their entry into Madrid.
Operations are expected to begin later this year in collaboration with Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), and rides will be available via the Uber app (subject to regulatory approval).
The WeRide-Uber fleet will aim to scale progressively and in full coordination with authorities as performance milestones are met, including the official transition to fully driverless commercial services in core urban areas.
Local mobility and logistics operator Rydera has been chosen to manage day-to-day fleet operations in Zurich.
The move marks the latest step in WeRide and Uber’s journey towards scaling proven deployments in new markets, with the partners having launched Robotaxi services across the Middle East over the course of the past year and a half, with fully driverless Robotaxi commercial services in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and public operations in Riyadh, providing a tested blueprint for expansion into Europe.
Last November, WeRide’s Robotaxi received a driverless permit from Switzerland’s FEDRO, enabling autonomous operations on public roads in the Furttal region.
With the Zurich launch, WeRide and Uber will operate Robotaxi services in five of the 15 cities under their previous agreement, with plans to deploy tens of thousands of Robotaxis on public roads globally.
Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery at Uber, said:Switzerland is a key market for autonomous mobility, combining forward-thinking regulation with a demand for high-quality ride-hailing solutions.
Our partnership with WeRide continues to gain momentum across Europe, and we are excited to apply our operational expertise to bring this next generation of autonomous rides to Zurich.
