Chinese autonomous driving company WeRide, together with Uber and AVOMO, the autonomous driving unit of Moove Cars, has obtained Spain's first L4-level autonomous passenger vehicle operating license, according to Sina Auto. The license, issued by Spain's Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) under the ES-AV framework, allows the deployment of vehicles on public roads and marks a regulatory milestone for self-driving commercial services in Europe.
The partnership plans to launch a commercial Robotaxi service in Madrid by 2026, pending final preparations and compliance with operational and regulatory requirements. Users will be able to hail WeRide's Robotaxi through the Uber app. The initial phase will involve dozens of WeRide Robotaxi GXR vehicles, each with a safety operator, covering high-demand areas of Madrid.
Expanding global footprint
Madrid is the fourth city in the strategic collaboration between WeRide and Uber, which aims to expand Robotaxi services to 15 cities globally and deploy tens of thousands of vehicles by 2030. This is also the first national autonomous driving license for WeRide's Robotaxi GXR in the European Union, providing a regulatory reference for future certifications and deployments in other European markets.
With this license, WeRide claims to be the only technology company whose products hold autonomous driving licenses in nine countries, including China, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the United States.
WeRide's CFO and head of international business, Li Xuan, said the license is a significant milestone in the company's globalization efforts, strengthening its position in Robotaxi commercialization. Uber's global head of autonomous mobility and delivery, Sarfraz Maredia, noted that Madrid is becoming one of Europe's most forward-looking regions for autonomous driving development.
Light-asset model
The Madrid project follows WeRide's asset-light expansion model, combining its autonomous driving technology with Uber's mobility platform and AVOMO's vehicle operations management. This approach aims to provide a replicable path for scaled Robotaxi operations in high-value global markets.
WeRide and Uber announced plans to launch Madrid's first commercial Robotaxi service in June 2026, with Zurich as the second European city for their collaboration. The company says it will continue to refine its commercialization system for Europe and expand driverless Robotaxi services to other markets.
