Chinese Firms Partner with Uber to Launch Autonomous Taxi Pilot in Madrid

Chinese autonomous driving technology company WeRide announced it will partner with U.S.-based ride-hailing platform Uber and a local Spanish operator to launch a commercial pilot service of driverless taxis open to the public in Madrid, the capital of Spain, later this year. This marks Spain’s first such commercial pilot project, allowing users to book autonomous taxis through the Uber app. During the initial phase, safety drivers will be present in vehicles to comply with local regulatory requirements. The operators plan to gradually roll out fully driverless commercial taxi services in central Madrid in the future.