Uber and Momenta to test autonomous vehicles in Germany in 2026

Ride-helling giants Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicles startup Momenta have planned to launch Robotaxis tests in Munich in Germany in 2026-the first Continental European city has publicly announced plans to expand the European city.

Were in partnership The first of May 2025 was exposedWhen Uber said that the vehicles powered at the moment will be launched on its platform in Europe in 2026, initially to monitor the vehicles and take control of human security with human security operators.

Momenta, founded in 2016, is one of China’s first autonomous vehicles (AV) companies. Beijing-based startup is testing self-driving cars in China Since the year 2018 And the country’s competitive AV is considered as a major player in the market.

Uber’s move has put it in direct competition with other ride-hill companies extending the AV market in Europe. Eg, lift in August Declare an agreement Starting with Germany and the UK with the next year, with China’s Baidu to deploy robotaxis across Europe.

Momenta is a 20 Partners Global Uber has brought his ride-helling, distribution and freight trades on the board. Uber says these partners have already created an annual rate of 1.5 million mobility and distribution travel.

In the United States, Uber provides Robotaxis to Uber Austin, Atlanta, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Internationally, Uber has parted with other Chinese AV startups, such as Weride and Poni Ai, to roll out Robotaxis on the Uber Middle East Uber Platform. Uber and Warder currently offer Ave Rides in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh with plans to expand in Dubai. Uber and UK -based Wave also recently announced plans to launch Level 4 AVS public road trials in London.

(Level 4 autonomy means that vehicles can work without human intervention on certain terms)))

Uber said in a statement that it had chosen Munich as its European launchpad because of the city’s engineering heritage and strong automobile ecosystem.

“Germany has transformed the global automotive industry for more than a century and now Munich will assist in the future with autonomous vehicles of the future,” Uber chief executive officer Dara Khosavashi said in a statement.

TechCrunch has reached Uber and Momen that they have already started the certificate process in Germany. The Moment has to prove to the German regulators that its vehicles meet certain security values ​​and have its operating zones approved by the authorities (known as “Gera Fera Zone”).

The launch may be deployed to Momen’s first robotuxi in Europe. The company is conducting a service in Shanghai with a commercial rollout plan with onboard security operators later this year. Since it works to develop its level 4 power, the wax is also working to deploy advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) with partners, including German brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and ADI. Momentar ADS has already been installed on 400,000 vehicles that are already sold to customers, the company said.