[ad_1]
Ride-hailing giant Uber and Chinese self-driving vehicle technology company WeRide have launched a commercial taxi service in Abu Dhabi. This launch marks Uber’s first global demonstration of self-driving vehicles.
Uber is seeking partnerships with self-driving car companies in various sectors, including ride-hailing, delivery and trucking services. Other partners include Wayve, Serve Robotics, Aurora Innovation, Waabi, and others.
However, investors are concerned that incumbents like Uber won’t be able to compete with companies that make the technology, like Waymo and perhaps Tesla. Thursday, Uber stock is almost down 10% after Waymo announced plans to launch a robotaxi service in Miami – this is despite the fact that a true self-driving vehicle-like transformation in the ride-hailing industry will take years, and that Uber may be one of the apps that passengers can eventually connect to for those Robots.
Uber’s launch with WeRide, which went public on the Nasdaq in late October, will be on a small scale, according to an Uber spokesperson. Neither Uber nor WeRide shared how many vehicles will hit Abu Dhabi’s streets initially. The first launch will take place between Saadiyat Island and Yas Island and along the routes to and from Zayed International Airport, with plans for future expansion.
There will be a human safety operator in each vehicle to start, with a fully driverless commercial launch planned for later in 2025.
Uber and WeRide will work with local carrier Tawasol to handle fleet operations.
[ad_2]