Join daily news updates from CleanTechnica on e mail. Or follow us on Google News!
Having gone to Abu Dhabi a number of instances for cleantech conferences, I may see that UAE leaders had been very eager on futuristic tech and really eager on superlatives — the most important, the primary, the tallest, the quickest, and so on. So, I knew it will be fast to deploy robotaxis. At present, the capital of the UAE is backing up my suspicions.
A partnership between ride-hailing large Uber and robotaxi firm WeRide has launched robotaxis in Abu Dhabi. The fleet, in the meantime will probably be managed by Tawasul Transport, “a leading UAE national transport company.”
“The launch represents the first time autonomous vehicles (AVs) are available on the Uber platform outside of the United States, as well as the largest commercial robotaxi service outside the U.S. and China.” What did I say about superlatives? There’s no beating the US and China on robotaxi deployment, however the press launch was fast to place in some “first” and “largest” claims.
Uber riders utilizing UberX or Uber Consolation might have a WeRide robotaxi pull up for them beginning immediately. For many who are particularly desirous to be picked up by a robotaxi, “Uber riders in Abu Dhabi who are excited about riding in an autonomous vehicle can increase their chances of being matched with a WeRide AV by opting in via the Ride Preferences section of their Uber app under Settings,” WeRide explains.
As anticipated, in the interim, the robotaxis will embrace human “safety operators” monitoring what the autos do and ensuring they don’t crash or get caught someplace. That is the norm for a robotaxi rollout. If all goes properly, it shouldn’t take too lengthy till the security operators are left at residence (deliberate for someday in 2025).
“We’re thrilled to launch our partnership with WeRide, and receive the support of Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre. As we take this next step in Abu Dhabi, we are excited to build on the strength of the Uber platform, helping our partners make autonomous vehicles a part of everyday life,” says Noah Zych, Uber’s International Head of Autonomous Mobility and Supply Operations.
“WeRide prioritizes passenger and pedestrian safety through rigorously validated autonomous driving technology,” Jennifer Li, Chief Monetary Officer and Head of Worldwide Enterprise at WeRide, provides. “As the first publicly listed Robotaxi company, WeRide has demonstrated its commitment to safety through over 1,800 days of public operational experience, setting new benchmarks for autonomous vehicle performance.”
The announcement famous in a handful of locations that security was the highest concern. I feel that’s a given — any issues of safety may harm the businesses, particularly WeRide, and massively delay growth.
Congratulations to WeRide, Uber, Abu Dhabi, and the UAE for this step ahead in autonomous driving. I’m curious to see how the robotaxi rollout goes and the way shortly it’s scaled up.
Chip in a couple of {dollars} a month to help support independent cleantech coverage that helps to speed up the cleantech revolution!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Wish to promote? Wish to recommend a visitor for our CleanTech Speak podcast? Contact us here.
Join our every day e-newsletter for 15 new cleantech stories a day. Or join our weekly one if every day is simply too frequent.
CleanTechnica makes use of affiliate hyperlinks. See our coverage here.
CleanTechnica’s Comment Policy
