China's leading driverless technology firm Pony.ai and US ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc announced on Friday an expansion of their strategic partnership, with plans to deploy more than 2,000 Pony.ai Robotaxis across Europe.

The partnership will expand from the existing commercial service in Zagreb, Croatia, which is coming soon to the Uber platform, to four additional cities in Europe. Further details about the rollout will be announced in phases. The expanded partnership also includes plans for deployment in the Middle East, according to a press release sent to the Global Times.

The model brings together three core functions required to operate Robotaxi services at scale: Level 4 (L4) autonomous driving technology, a leading mobility platform, and day-to-day fleet operations. It allows technology, platform and fleet partners to work together in the same market, while individual partners may also take on more than one role, according to the release.

According to its 2025 financial report, Pony.ai's Robotaxi fleet will exceed 3,000 vehicles by the end of 2026, with Robotaxi services to be deployed in more than 20 cities worldwide.