WeRide, Uber, AVOMO Secure Spain’s First L4 Robotaxi Operating License for Madrid

The three companies said the commercial robotaxi service is expected to be launched to the public within 2026 after preparations and relevant operational and regulatory requirements are completed. Madrid users will be able to hail a WeRide robotaxi through the Uber app. As key operating indicators are met, the partners plan to expand the service area and bring pure driverless robotaxi commercial operations to Madrid’s core urban districts.

Under the license, early deployment and testing will begin first, laying the basis for future commercial operation under DGT’s ES-AV framework. In the first phase, dozens of WeRide Robotaxi GXR vehicles equipped with WeRide’s latest-generation autonomous driving technology will be put into testing across several high-demand areas in Madrid. Each vehicle will have a safety driver on board.

The Madrid project continues WeRide’s asset-light overseas model, combining WeRide’s autonomous driving technology, Uber’s global mobility platform and AVOMO’s vehicle operation and management capabilities. The partners described it as a replicable commercial path for scaling robotaxi services in high-value markets globally.

Li Xuan, WeRide CFO and international head, said the Spanish license was another important milestone in WeRide’s globalization. He said WeRide has obtained autonomous driving licenses in nine countries, strengthening its global position in robotaxi commercialization. He called Madrid an important gateway for WeRide’s European market expansion and said the company will work with Uber and AVOMO to open Spain’s first commercial robotaxi service to the public by the end of 2026.

Sarfraz Maredia, Uber’s global head of autonomous mobility and delivery, said the license was an important milestone in moving autonomous mobility from planning to actual deployment. He said Madrid is rapidly becoming one of Europe’s most forward-looking regions for autonomous driving development, and Uber is glad to work with partners to make the vision a reality.

Manuel Puga, CEO of Moove Cars Group, said any successful autonomous vehicle deployment begins with sufficient preparation before commercial operations. He said the company’s experience managing autonomous fleets in the United States shows that thorough advance preparation, rigorous operational processes and safety-first execution standards are the foundation for scaling autonomous driving services.

Madrid is the first stop for WeRide and Uber’s cooperation on commercial robotaxi operations in Europe. In June 2026, WeRide and Uber announced they would launch Madrid’s first commercial robotaxi service. In the same month, Zurich became the second European city in their partnership, with public robotaxi operations scheduled to begin within 2026, the report said.

WeRide said it will continue to improve a commercial operating system suitable for the European market, replicate pure driverless robotaxi services in other European markets and gradually build a cross-city, scalable global robotaxi operating network.