WeRide Partnership Takes Uber Robotaxis to the UAE
American ride-hailing company Uber has announced a strategic partnership with Guangzhou-based self-driving company, WeRide. Reuters reported that the Uber-WeRide deal will involve adding WeRide cars to Uber’s ride sharing platform and taking Uber robotaxis to the UAE. The two traveltech companies made their partnership public on Wednesday, September 25.
A Win-Win Situation
The Guangzhou WeRide Uber partnership is a win-win for the two companies. This is the first time that WeRide is collaborating with a global ride-hailing company, The Uber partnership will enable WeRide to expand its operations beyond the Chinese borders.
For Uber, the partnership presents an opportunity to incorporate more robotaxis into its platform. Uber has collaborated with several autonomous vehicle companies lately as it seeks to maintain its lead in the ride-hailing space.
Earlier this month, the ride-hailing company partnered with Waymo to onboard its robotaxis in Atlanta and Austin in the US. In August this year, Uber partnered with Cruise, the robotaxi unit at General Motors. Cruise robotaxis will operate through Uber’s autonomous vehicle platform from 2025.
Uber also announced a deal with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD. The Uber BYD deal will see Uber add 100,000 Chinese-manufactured electric cars to its fleet of cars globally. Uber is currently working with UK-based autonomous vehicle company, Wayve. Uber made a strategic investment into Wayve to facilitate further development of its AI-powered self-driving technology.
UAE Entry
The collaboration between Uber and WeRide is set to commence in Abu Dhabi later this year. This means that when passengers request rides on the Uber app, they may be given the option of picking an Uber Chinese robotaxi in the UAE.
WeRide secured a national license for autonomous vehicles in the UAE in July this year. The Middle East has become the go-to market for many Chinese autonomous vehicle companies due to its friendly regulatory environment and funding.
With its first and only national license for self-driving vehicles, the Chinese company can test and operate robotaxis on public roads across the UAE.
The Regulation Challenge
WeRide has made attempts to list its shares in the US with a $5 billion valuation. However, this is yet to happen as its initial public offering was delayed. The company said it was completing the necessary documentation to proceed with the listing.
Regulation continues to pose a challenge to the entry of Chinese autonomous vehicles technology into the US market. On September 23, the Biden administration proposed new requirements that prohibit Chinese auto manufacturers from testing their autonomous vehicles on US roads. This includes vehicle hardware and software produced by US foreign adversaries like Russia.
Outside the US, Uber is contending with data protection challenges. Last month, the ride-hailing platform was slapped with a $324 million fine in the Netherlands. Dutch regulators fined the company after it established that Uber had been sending sensitive personal data belonging to Dutch drivers to the US without their consent. This violates the EU data protection laws.
