Uber And Momenta To Test Autonomous Vehicles In Germany In 2026

Ride-hailing elephantine Uber and Chinese autonomous conveyance startup Momenta scheme to commencement testing robotaxis successful Munich, Germany starting successful 2026 – nan first continental European metropolis either institution has announced publically – pinch plans to grow to different markets.

The business was first unveiled successful May 2025, erstwhile Uber said Momenta-powered vehicles would motorboat connected its level successful Europe successful 2026, initially pinch quality information operators onboard to show nan vehicles and return power if needed.

Momenta, founded successful 2016, is 1 of China’s earliest autonomous conveyance (AV) companies. The Beijing-based startup has been testing self-driving cars successful China since 2018 and is considered a awesome subordinate successful nan country’s competitory AV market.

Uber’s move puts it successful nonstop title pinch different ride-hailing companies expanding into Europe’s AV market. For example, successful August Lyft announced a deal pinch China’s Baidu to deploy robotaxis crossed Europe starting adjacent year, opening pinch Germany and nan UK. 

Momenta is 1 of 20 world AV partners that Uber has brought connected committee crossed its ride-hailing, delivery, and freight businesses. Uber says those partnerships person already generated an annualized complaint of 1.5 cardinal mobility and transportation trips.

In nan U.S., Uber offers Waymo’s robotaxis connected its app successful Austin, Atlanta, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Internationally, Uber has collaborated pinch Momenta and different Chinese AV startups, for illustration WeRide and Pony.ai, to rotation retired robotaxis connected nan Uber level successful nan Middle East. Uber and WeRide presently connection AV rides successful Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, pinch plans to grow to Dubai. Uber and UK-based Wayve besides precocious announced plans to motorboat nationalist roadworthy tests of Level 4 AVs successful London. 

(Level 4 autonomy intends nan conveyance tin run without quality involution nether definite conditions.)

Uber said successful a connection that it chose Munich arsenic its European launchpad owed to nan city’s engineering practice and beardown automotive ecosystem. 

“Germany has shaped nan world automotive manufacture for much than a century, and now Munich will thief style nan early pinch autonomous vehicles,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, successful a statement.

TechCrunch has reached retired to Uber and Momenta to study whether they person already begun nan certification process successful Germany yet. Momenta will request to beryllium to German regulators that its vehicles meet definite information standards and person its designed operating areas (called “geo-fenced zones”) approved by nan authorities. 

The motorboat could beryllium Momenta’s first robotaxi deployment successful Europe. The institution has been operating a work successful Shanghai pinch plans for a commercialized rollout pinch onboard information operators by nan extremity of this year. As it useful to create its Level 4 capabilities, Momenta has besides been moving to deploy precocious driver assistance systems (ADAS) pinch partner automakers, including German brands for illustration Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. Momenta’s ADAS is already installed connected 400,000 vehicles sold to customers today, according to nan company.