WeRide and Uber Technologies have announced plans to launch commercial Robotaxi services in the Greater Zurich Region, becoming their second joint European deployment within weeks of announcing Madrid. Operations, subject to regulatory approval, are expected to begin later this year via the Uber app, facilitated by Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (FEDRO).

The fleet will scale progressively in coordination with FEDRO towards fully driverless operations, with day-to-day management handled by local operator Rydera. WeRide holds a FEDRO driverless permit for Zurich’s Furttal region.

The launch follows Robotaxi deployments across the Middle East since December 2024, including driverless services in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and public rides in Riyadh. Operations will run on WeRide One and WeRide Genesis platforms.

In a statement, Jennifer Li, Chief Financial Officer and Head of International, WeRide, said: “Europe is a priority region for WeRide, and announcing two European markets in two weeks reflects the speed and efficiency of our expansion strategy. Zurich’s status as a global business centre and premium mobility market makes it an attractive city for Robotaxi commercialisation as we scale autonomous mobility with Uber worldwide.”

Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery, Uber, added: “Switzerland is a key market for autonomous mobility, combining forward-thinking regulation with a demand for high-quality ride-hailing solutions.”

Why this matters:

• Switzerland is becoming a proving ground for rival AV strategies.WeRide and Uber are moving quickly on commercial deployment in Zurich while Apollo Go is still working through permitting and safety validation in the east of the country—the contrast illustrates how differently the same regulatory environment can be navigated depending on a company’s existing permit portfolio and partner relationships.
• Uber’s platform role is hardening into something structural.Within a single day, Uber appears as the distribution layer in two separate AV announcements—one with WeRide, one with the Stellantis-Wayve consortium—suggesting it is consolidating its position as the demand-side infrastructure that AV developers need access to, regardless of whose technology or vehicles are involved.