Autonomous driving technology provider WeRide and Uber are set to introduce a commercial robotaxi service in the Greater Zurich Region later this year, marking the partners' first Swiss deployment.
The service will be accessible through the Uber app and is being developed in collaboration with Switzerland's Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), pending regulatory clearance.
It follows a recently announced expansion into Madrid, Spain, the duo's first European joint deployment.
WeRide International CFO and head Jennifer Li 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.”
Local operator Rydera will handle day-to-day fleet management under WeRide's asset-light model, with the fleet size expected to grow incrementally as operational targets are met.
The companies have also indicated plans for a transition to fully driverless commercial operations in core urban areas.
WeRide secured a driverless permit from FEDRO in November 2024, authorising autonomous vehicle operations on public roads in Zurich's Furttal region.
The Zurich deployment will draw on the company's WeRide One universal technology platform and GENESIS simulation platform.
The two companies have been expanding their partnership since December 2024, with fully driverless commercial robotaxi services currently running in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and public operations under way in Riyadh.
The Zurich launch will bring their active deployments to five of the 15 cities covered under their existing agreement.
WeRide cited Switzerland's autonomous driving regulatory environment and established ride-hailing market as factors supporting the commercial rollout, and said it intends to continue expanding its robotaxi operations globally.
Uber autonomous mobility & delivery global head Sarfraz Maredia added: “Our partnership with WeRide continues to gain momentum across Europe, and we are excited to apply our operational expertise to bring this next generation of autonomous rides to Zurich.”
