Uber rolls out driverless robotaxis in Abu Dhabi

Uber It launched fully self-driving rides in its fourth market on Wednesday, with the service jointly launched in Abu Dhabi WeRideA Chinese autonomous vehicle company.

The ride-hailing company launches in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. first driverless robotaxi Service in the Middle East. In the US, Uber already offers robotaxi services in Austin. Phoenix and via Atlanta alphabet Waymo.

The ride-hailing company said passengers in Abu Dhabi can book a WeRide robotaxi when requesting an UberX or Uber Comfort ride.

WeRide, listed on Nasdaq Partnership with Uber Starts offering autonomous rides with an operator in September 2024 Abu Dhabi last December. Uber and WeRide have also launched robotaxi rides with a security operator in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. October. Uber says it plans to launch WeRide service 15 more citiesIncluding Europe in the next five years.

In recent years, Uber has invested heavily in autonomous vehicle technology through partnerships.

Uber began offering robotaxi service in Austin and Atlanta earlier this year, and in Phoenix in late 2023. In July, the company struck a six-year robotaxi deal with the electric vehicle maker. Lucid and AV startup Nuro.

Meanwhile, WeRide launches fully driverless robotaxi services in China Beijing And Guangzhouaccording to the website.

Uber did not say how it splits revenue from robotaxi rides with its partners.

Competitors also adopted the technology with ease. Lyft It announced a deal with Waymo in September to launch robotaxi in Nashville next year.

Uber said driverless vehicles in Abu Dhabi will operate in certain areas of Yas Island. Drivers can increase their chances of driving a robotaxi by choosing the autonomous option. In-car support is available while driving via app and in-car tablet.

WRISTWATCH: WeRide CEO: We’re using both Tesla and Waymo’s approach to scale robotaxi operations