Chinese autonomous driving companies are expanding across Europe through partnerships with local mobility providers, paving the way for future commercial robotaxi services.
Chinese autonomous driving companies are steadily expanding into the European market as governments across the region accelerate efforts to support autonomous vehicle testing and future commercial deployment. Through partnerships with local mobility platforms, fleet operators, and automakers, Chinese firms are positioning themselves to play a larger role in Europe’s next generation of transportation.
WeRide recently announced a strategic partnership with Danish shared mobility company GreenMobility to launch a public robotaxi service in Denmark during the first half of 2027, pending regulatory approval. The project marks WeRide’s entry into the Nordic region and expands its European footprint to six markets.
The service will deploy WeRide’s GXR autonomous vehicle, an EU-compliant Level 4 robotaxi capable of operating without a human driver in designated areas under specific conditions. GreenMobility will contribute its experience in local fleet management and shared mobility operations, while testing and deployment will be carried out in cooperation with Danish transport authorities and in compliance with both Danish and EU regulations.
According to WeRide founder and CEO Tony Han, the collaboration represents more than a single market entry. He believes the partnership could become a scalable model for introducing autonomous mobility services into additional international markets in the future.
Europe is also creating a more favorable policy environment for autonomous driving. In June, 18 European Union member states signed a joint declaration to establish large-scale cross-border testing networks for autonomous vehicles. The initiative covers applications in public transportation, freight logistics, and commercial mobility while encouraging common approval standards and coordinated regulatory procedures that will support future commercialization across the EU.
Other Chinese companies are making similar progress. On July 28, Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing platform Apollo Go began testing its sixth-generation RT6 robotaxi in London through a partnership with European mobility platform Freenow, which is owned by Lyft. Initial testing is taking place in London’s Brent borough with safety operators on board, and public services are planned for 2027, subject to regulatory approval.
Pony.ai is also strengthening its European presence. In June, the company announced plans to launch an autonomous mobility pilot project in Luxembourg together with ride-hailing platform Bolt and global automaker Stellantis. Under the partnership, Pony.ai will provide autonomous driving technology, Bolt will contribute its ride-hailing platform expertise, and Stellantis will supply specially designed Level 4 autonomous vehicles along with engineering and manufacturing support.
Meanwhile, Pony.ai’s autonomous driving technology is already supporting a robotaxi service in Zagreb, Croatia. Operated by local mobility company Verne, the service opened to the public in April, allowing passengers to book and pay for rides through Verne’s mobile application. Uber is also participating in the project and plans to integrate the service into its own platform in a later phase. Safety operators remain on board during the initial rollout.
Industry experts note that technological capability alone will not determine long-term success. Ron Zheng, senior partner at Roland Berger and head of its automotive practice in Asia, said Chinese autonomous driving companies must adapt their software using local traffic data because European road conditions, traffic regulations, road signage, and mixed-traffic environments differ significantly from those in China.
He added that the long-term competitiveness of Chinese autonomous driving companies in Europe will depend on how efficiently they comply with local regulations and how successfully they establish stable partnerships with European governments, mobility providers, and automotive manufacturers.
As Europe continues building a unified framework for autonomous vehicle deployment, Chinese technology companies are increasingly becoming important participants in the region’s evolving intelligent transportation ecosystem.
