WeRide Obtains Spain's First L4-Level Autonomous Passenger Vehicle Operating License

WeRide Obtains Spain's First L4-Level Autonomous Passenger Vehicle Operating License, Robotaxi Commercial Service to Launch Within the Year

On September 10, global leading autonomous driving technology company WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD, HKEX: 0800) and international mobility service giant Uber (NYSE: UBER), along with AVOMO, the autonomous driving business unit of Moove Cars Group, jointly announced that with the support of the Madrid government, the three parties have officially obtained the Spain's first L4-level autonomous passenger vehicle operating license issued by the Directorate-General of Traffic (DGT) in accordance with the ES-AV framework, authorized to deploy vehicles on public roads.

This marks the first time Spain has opened access for L4-level Robotaxis at the national level, and also sets a new regulatory benchmark for autonomous driving commercialization in Europe. Spain's first commercial Robotaxi service has passed the key regulatory threshold and entered the sprint phase for launch.

As one of the largest mobility markets in Europe, Spain receives nearly 100 million tourists annually, with strong commuter demand in the capital Madrid, a mature ride-hailing service ecosystem, providing a good commercial foundation for autonomous driving mobility services to land. Madrid is also the fourth city. According to the plan, the two parties will expand the Robotaxi cooperation to 15 cities globally before 2030, deploying tens of thousands of Robotaxis, providing safe and reliable autonomous driving mobility services for users worldwide.

After completing all preparations and meeting relevant operational and regulatory requirements, WeRide, Uber, and AVOMO are expected to launch Robotaxi commercial operation services to the public within 2026. At that time, local users in Madrid can call WeRide Robotaxis via the Uber App with one click. As key operational indicators are gradually met, the three parties will continue to expand the Robotaxi service area, promoting the commercial operation of fully autonomous Robotaxis to cover Madrid's core urban areas.

(WeRide Robotaxi GXR will launch commercial operations in Madrid, Spain)

The Madrid project continues WeRide's light asset overseas expansion model, combining WeRide's autonomous driving technology, Uber's global mobility platform, and AVOMO's vehicle operation management capabilities to provide a replicable commercial path for Robotaxi services to achieve scaled operations in high-value markets globally.

According to the license permit, early-stage deployment testing work will launch first, laying the foundation for future commercial operation services based on DGT's ES-AV framework. In the first phase, dozens of Robotaxis equipped with WeRide's latest generation autonomous driving technology, the Robotaxi GXR, will be put into testing, covering multiple high-demand areas in Madrid, with a safety officer in each vehicle.

This is also the first national-level autonomous driving license obtained by WeRide Robotaxi GXR in the EU, establishing regulatory reference for its future vehicle certification and commercial landing in more markets in Europe. Thus, WeRide becomes the only technology company in the world whose products hold autonomous driving licenses in nine countries, including China, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Singapore, UAE, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

(WeRide Robotaxi GXR in Madrid, Spain)

WeRide CFO and International Head, Li Xuan stated: "Obtaining the Spain license is another important milestone in WeRide's globalization process. Currently, we have obtained autonomous driving licenses in nine countries globally, further consolidating our global leading position in the Robotaxi commercialization field. Madrid is an important gateway for us to expand the European market. Next, we will work with partners such as Uber and AVOMO to promote the first commercial Robotaxi service in Spain to open to the public by the end of 2026 as planned."

Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Uber Autonomous Mobility and Delivery Services stated: "This license is an important milestone in moving autonomous driving mobility from planning to actual deployment. Madrid is rapidly becoming one of the most forward-looking autonomous driving development regions in Europe. We are pleased to work with all partners to make this vision a reality."

Manuel Puga, CEO of Moove Cars Group stated: "Any successful deployment of autonomous driving vehicles starts with full preparation before commercial operation. Our experience managing autonomous driving fleets in the United States shows that meticulous preliminary preparation, rigorous operational processes, and execution standards with safety as the top priority are the foundation for promoting the scaled development of autonomous driving services."

Madrid is the first stop for WeRide and Uber's cooperation to land Robotaxi commercial operations in Europe. In June 2026, WeRide and Uber announced they would launch the first commercial Robotaxi service in the local area in Madrid; in the same month, Zurich became the second city for the two parties' cooperation in Europe, with Robotaxi public operation services launching within 2026, further consolidating WeRide's first-mover advantage in the field of autonomous driving commercialization in Europe.

In the future, WeRide will continue to improve the commercial operation system suitable for the European market, promote the replication of fully autonomous Robotaxi services to other markets in Europe, and gradually build a cross-city, scalable global Robotaxi operation network.