China's Robotaxi Enters Europe, WeRide and Baidu Target Public Services 2027

Illustration of sensor devices on autonomous vehicles used to read road conditions and the surrounding environment. Illustration photo: Pexels.

JAKARTA - Chinese autonomous vehicle companies are increasingly aggressive in penetrating Europe. WeRide, Baidu, and Pony.ai are entering through partnerships with local operators, mobility platforms, and automotive manufacturers as a number of European countries begin to prepare rules for future testing and commercial deployment.

China Daily quoted Monday, August 10, saying WeRide on August 3 entered into a strategic partnership with GreenMobility, a Danish joint electric mobility provider. Both are targeting robotaxi services for the public in the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory approval.

Denmark is WeRide's first Nordic market and the company's sixth market in Europe.

The service will use WeRide GXR, a Level 4 autonomous vehicle that meets EU standards. At this level, vehicles can run without a human driver in certain areas and conditions.

Testing and implementation will be carried out together with Danish road and transport authorities by following local and EU rules.

WeRide founder and CEO Tony Han said the partnership could serve as an expanded model for the deployment of autonomous mobility services in new international markets.

The Chinese company's move comes as European countries step up coordination on testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles.

In June, 18 EU member states signed a declaration of intent to establish a large-scale cross-country autonomous vehicle test area.

Testing includes the use of autonomous vehicles for public transport, freight, and logistics. Participating countries will also develop common approval principles and more coordinated licensing procedures.

In the UK, Baidu's robotaxi service Apollo Go together with Freenow, a European mobility platform owned by Lyft, began testing the sixth-generation RT6 vehicle in London on July 28.

Testing took place in the Brent area with safety operators remaining inside the vehicle. The area includes urban and suburban roads.

Both are targeting a service for the public by 2027, also subject to regulatory approval.

Pony.ai in June announced preparations for an autonomous mobility project in Luxembourg with Bolt and Stellantis.

Pony.ai provides autonomous driving technology. Bolt brings experience in managing an app-based transportation platform, while Stellantis provides a medium-sized van that supports Level 4 systems as well as vehicle engineering and production expertise.

In Zagreb, Croatia, Pony.ai also supplies technology for the robotaxi service Verne, which opened to the public in April. Passengers can book and pay for trips through the Verne app.

Uber is also a partner in the project. Verne said the service can be ordered through the Uber app. In the initial phase of the launch, vehicles still carry autonomous vehicle operators who have received training.

Roland Berger senior partner and head of Asia automotive practice, Ron Zheng, said Chinese autonomous vehicle companies need to adapt algorithms to local data.

According to Berger, traffic rules, road signs, and traffic conditions involving various road users in Europe are quite different from China.

The long-term prospects of those companies, Zheng said, will depend on how quickly they meet local rules and build stable partnerships with European companies.