Mercedes-Benz Group is moving deeper into autonomous mobility through a tie-up with Chinese software developer Momenta Global to launch robotaxi services for Lumo Mobility in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The collaboration will see the next generation of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class equipped with SAE Level 4 automated driving technology, enabling “hands-off, eyes-off” operation, the company said in a statement.
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The vehicles will be deployed for Lumo Mobility, a subsidiary of technology firm K2 Group, which has been authorised to run autonomous vehicles in the UAE, beginning in Abu Dhabi.
Mercedes-Benz said the Abu Dhabi project sits alongside its other Level 4 initiatives, some aimed at private end users and others focused on commercial and fleet-based applications.
The service will be underpinned by Mercedes’ new MB.OS software platform. The operating system is designed to allow partners such as Momenta to build complex applications, including highly automated driving functions, directly on top of the carmaker’s core software stack.
Mercedes-Benz chief technology officer Joerg Burzer said: “With a robotaxi S-Class, we raise the bar for automated mobility – always combining safety and comfort to set new standards for the industry and intelligent transportation worldwide.
“All our activities in that field underline Mercedes‑Benz’s pioneering role in autonomous driving.”
Mercedes-Benz noted that it was the first international car manufacturer to secure permission to test fully automated (SAE Level 4) driving systems on selected inner-city roads and highways in Beijing. Those trials are intended to validate both hardware and software destined for future automated driving features in private passenger cars.
The Beijing programme examines multi-sensor perception in fully automated scenarios, checks how the systems perform under varying conditions, and studies how data from different sensors is brought together to form an integrated view of the surroundings.
For these tests, Mercedes-Benz uses S-Class models fitted with a dedicated sensor package developed for the project, including LiDAR, radar units and cameras.
In September, Uber Technologies and Momenta announced plans to begin testing Level 4 autonomous vehicles in Germany in 2026.
