WeRide, Uber Technologies and Avomo, the autonomous arm of Moove Cars Group, have been granted Spain's “first” national operating licence for level 4 self-driving passenger vehicles.
The permit was issued by the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) under its ES-AV regulatory framework, in coordination with the Regional Government of Madrid.
The approval allows the three companies to begin preparatory work ahead of deployment, including mapping, route validation and operational readiness checks, before a planned commercial robotaxi launch in the Community of Madrid.
It represents the first national clearance granted to WeRide's GXR autonomous vehicle anywhere in the European Union.
Uber autonomous mobility & delivery global head Sarfraz Maredia said: “The Madrid region is quickly establishing itself as one of Europe's most forward-looking environments for autonomous mobility, and we're excited to be working alongside our partners to help make that vision a reality.”
During the initial phase, 20 vehicles equipped with WeRide's self-driving system will be rolled out across high-demand areas of Greater Madrid, with each vehicle supervised by an onboard vehicle specialist.
Commercial services are expected to start before the end of 2026, contingent on the completion of deployment preparations and outstanding regulatory and operational requirements.
Madrid becomes the fourth of 15 cities identified under the global partnership between WeRide and Uber, which is set to extend to 11 additional cities by 2030.
Under the arrangement, the two companies aim to deploy autonomous vehicles across several markets, with Avomo handling fleet operations.
The companies pointed to Spain's ride-hailing market and commuting patterns in Madrid as factors behind the decision to launch there.
WeRide international CFO and head Jennifer Li added: “Receiving this permit is a significant achievement for WeRide as it marks our ninth autonomous driving permit worldwide and a testament to our global leadership in commercialising autonomous vehicle services.”
The Madrid announcement follows Uber and Wayve launching supervised autonomous rides in London earlier this month, the first such service to be made available in the UK.
The initial phase involves a trained, TfL-licensed private hire driver remaining on board to monitor each journey.
Last month, WeRide expanded into Denmark through a partnership with GreenMobility, marking its entry into the Nordic market with plans for Level 4 shared mobility services.
