Autonomous taxi, robot taxi

The US provider Tensor and the Munich Taxi Center want to bring robotaxis onto German streets. The taxi company is to keep its brand, customers and fleet operations, while Tensor supplies the vehicles and driving software. But before the launch, contracts and approvals must be in place.

China expands testing of automated vehicles: Xpeng is allowed to test its Level-4 robotaxis across the entire urban area of Guangzhou, and Volkswagen collects data in Hefei for Level 3 automated driving.

The digitization of the taxi trade is moving into the next phase: Taxi.de and Bliq.ai want to connect automated driving features with the infrastructure of established taxi and car rental companies. The idea behind it: new technology should strengthen local operators, rather than displacing them through new platforms.

Dumping prices for rental cars, precarious working conditions and the future of autonomous mobility: The Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars has spoken with the Green Party politician Tarek Al-Wazir about the challenges of the industry.

Bolt, Stellantis and the Métropole du Grand Paris plan to pilot autonomous ride services from 2028. Initially up to five municipalities are planned; by 2030 the operation could grow to more than 30 municipalities. For taxi companies this poses a central question: Will a new feeder to public transport emerge—or a competitor that competes for the same passengers and contracts?

Volkswagen wanted to bring MOIA's autonomous ride service to the cities. But high investments, technical delays, and the difficult search for partners put the plan in doubt. While U.S. providers expand their services, Germany risks losing ground in a future technology.

Elon Musk doesn't think much of restraint when it comes to the future of Tesla. For years, he has emphasized that autonomous driving is the key to the success of the electric car manufacturer. Now the controversial e-car pioneer has applied for a ride-hailing license.

While autonomous ride services are already in operation in the USA and China, Europe is examining their integration into existing mobility offerings. The Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars wants to advocate for the industry's interests early on.

An autonomous taxi in Shenzhen becomes a painful trap for a passenger: Three fingers are pinched in the door, but neither the vehicle nor the bystanders can resolve the situation immediately. The incident shows that autonomous mobility still reaches its limits when it comes to everyday problems.

The EU is taking more time to evaluate Tesla's driver-assistance system "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)". A decision originally expected for October has been postponed. For the introduction of the technology in Europe, this means further months of uncertainty – and shows how controversial automated driving is still being discussed.

Autonomous driving is regarded as one of the major future topics of mobility. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is now linking the technology with another goal: more independence for people who use wheelchairs. At Rehacare 2026 in Düsseldorf, the manufacturer presented a concept that aims to enable access to autonomous shuttles without external help.

Autonomous taxis are on the rise in Europe. Since September they are also being tested in London. While public interest is growing rapidly, the crucial question remains the same: Can passengers trust an artificial intelligence at the wheel?

Autonomous shuttle buses are already operating in Hamburg, Paderborn, and soon also in the Rhine-Main region. But the real bottleneck no longer lies in the vehicle technology. Public transport operators, authorities and manufacturers are now working to clear an obstacle from the path that could determine the future of autonomous mobility: the approval procedure.

In Berlin, representatives of the Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars spoke with Bliq about new mobility models. It wasn't just theory: The delegation also tested an autonomous vehicle on public roads.

For driverless regular operation, providers must undergo a three-stage authorization process. In the event of accidents, there are also special liability limits for autonomous vehicles.

The ride-hailing company is reducing its global workforce by around ten percent and streamlining the leadership structure. In parallel, the multi-billion-dollar bid for Delivery Hero is under way.

45 vehicles are already registered in Texas according to a report; in the long term, a significantly larger production is planned. Waymo and Zoox are also pushing their robotaxi fleets forward.

If you have listened to Elon Musk over the past ten years, you know the pattern. Almost every year the Tesla chief announced the breakthrough in autonomous driving. Almost every year the timeline shifted. For many observers, the robotaxi developed into perhaps the most well-known future promise of the automotive industry – and at the same time one of its most persistent long-running projects.

The autonomous vehicles are to be deployed in the future together with taxis and rental cars via the ride-hailing platform. Initially, the partners are testing the technology in Brent.

From the former announcements about how quickly autonomous driving and especially driverless taxis were supposed to enrich our daily lives, not much has remained, especially in Europe. Now Waymo also wants to take off in Europe – and is becoming a threat to traditional taxis.

Waymo knows more about its passengers than they sometimes like. The case of two teenage passengers in San Mateo highlights the high degree of surveillance, but also the associated possibilities.

The federal association used the industry gathering to present concepts for autonomous driving and the ÖPNV-Taxi as part of future mobility offerings.

A few years ago, the partnership between Volkswagen and Bosch was regarded as one of the most ambitious technology projects in the German automotive industry. Together the two groups aimed to develop systems for automated driving that would be deployed not only in premium vehicles but also in mass-market models.

A new subsidiary, job openings, and indications of test activities raise the question of when autonomous ride-hailing services will first be commercially deployed on German roads.

The debate about the return obligation for rental cars is currently on everyone's lips. At the beginning of June, the BGH reinforced the existing distinction between taxi and rental-vehicle traffic. In an ntv interview, car expert Stefan Bratzel from CAM reiterated the platform operators' argument that the return obligation is "old hat".

At the meeting with Federal Minister of Transport Schnieder, BVTM puts forward its key demands regarding robotaxis, PBefG evaluation, and the role of taxis in rural areas.

(dpa) Two vehicles got stuck in floodwaters in Atlanta and San Antonio. The provider, according to its own statements, is working on software adjustments and is also pausing highway driving in several U.S. cities.

When in San Bruno a robotaxi from Alphabet subsidiary Waymo attracted attention for an unauthorized turning maneuver, the stop ended up in a legal gray area. The police were able to stop the vehicle – but could not issue a ticket. There was no one to cite. A driver was not at the wheel.

At the annual meeting of Motor Vehicle Insurance (VdK), SIGNAL IDUNA's risk carrier for the commercial sector, Gregor Beiner described the situation as a double challenge: technological upheaval on the one hand, intensified competition on the other.

Hamburg adheres to its strict line on on-demand transport. The city, according to its own statements, does not issue licenses for offerings that, from the administration's point of view, cannot be operated permanently in accordance with the passenger transport law. The justification is pragmatic: Concessions once granted would be difficult to revoke later.

(dpa) While the driver-assistance system awaits EU-wide approval, the group is significantly increasing its investments. Revenue, profit and deliveries are rising again after declines in the previous year.

Amid the dense city traffic, traffic came to a halt—not because of an accident, not because of a construction site, but because of the technology itself. In Wuhan, one of China's major metropolises, dozens of driverless taxis remained almost simultaneously stationary. What might have seemed like an isolated incident turns out to be a systemic problem.

Starting in 2028, the first driverless vehicles are set to begin operation. The plan is backed by concrete investment commitments, firm timelines, and an ambitious expansion to 25 cities.

At the Mobility Move in Berlin, experts discuss the consequences of autonomous mobility services. The Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars advocates for municipal control, quantity limits and price regulation.

(dpa) By integrating driverless vehicles, Uber is expanding its platform strategy in autonomous mobility. In addition to Waymo, Zoox models are also expected to be available in several U.S. metropolitan areas in the future.

With the start of pre-series production in Hannover, the Roboshuttle project reaches a new phase. The vehicles are part of an integrated solution for autonomous mobility services in cities.

In the Gigafactory in Texas, a vehicle has rolled off the assembly line that resembles less a conventional car than a mobile device on wheels. Tesla has produced the first near-production prototype of its Cybercab – a robotaxi that omits a steering wheel and pedals. The serial production of the two-seater is set to begin in April 2026.

With charging infrastructure in key cities and new partners, Uber aims to consolidate its position in the growing market for autonomous mobility services in the United States.

With additional reports and a subsequent reassessment of a previous accident, the manufacturer clarifies the data situation regarding autonomous driving in Austin. The incident counts provide indications for ongoing safety analyses.

(dpa) With fresh capital, Waymo is pushing ahead with the expansion of driverless robotaxis, while Tesla is betting on cheaper technology.

(dpa) Accidents involving self-driving cars are rare - now a car from the robotaxi market leader ran over a child. According to the company, however, it could have ended worse with a human behind the wheel.

Tesla surprises with figures that also signal a profound strategic shift. Behind the snapshot lies a fundamental break. For the first time in a year, annual revenue declines, net profit falls significantly. At the same time, Tesla bids farewell to two models that once defined the company.

Pilot projects in several neighborhoods should show how autonomous vehicles can cover the first and last mile in urban traffic.

(dpa) Nvidia chips are indispensable for artificial intelligence. Buoyed by this, the company also wants to weigh in on autonomous vehicles. A German carmaker plays a central role in this.

Mercedes is testing in the United States, in collaboration with Nvidia, an advanced driving assistant that is intended to relieve people even in urban traffic. In the long term, this system is to operate autonomously. A first test drive in the evening rush-hour traffic of the West Coast metropolis proved promising.

(dpa) A birth in a car is rare, but it does happen from time to time. In San Francisco, the situation for the woman in labor was even more unusual: she was in a robotaxi with no person at the wheel.

Autonomous shuttles should soon belong to Oslo's regular cityscape. The transportation authority Ruter and the operator Holo have been pushing the topic forward for years. Now they are bringing in a partner with the Hamburg-based mobility company MOIA that combines its own vehicle design, software, and operating competence. From spring 2026, self-driving ID. Buzz vehicles are to be in regular service in the capital.

(dpa) Taxis recently played only a minor role at Mercedes - if at all. Now the Swabians are bringing a robotaxi onto the road. First in Abu Dhabi. But this should not stop there.

2026 could be a year for Tesla in which it is decided whether ambitious announcements will translate into a viable business model. Investors have been cautious for months, but the group around Elon Musk promises a restart—carried chiefly by a project that has long since become the core of its future narrative: the Robotaxi.

With the BumbleB project, Bertrandt aims to show how autonomous vehicles can ease the burden on rural public transport. The company relies on open-source technologies and works with municipalities on real-world deployment scenarios.

(dpa) Uber is serious about the plan to become the platform for robotaxis from various manufacturers. In cooperation with the chip giant Nvidia, there is talk of 100,000 self-driving cars — someday.

Together with the Bern University of Applied Sciences, an autonomous shuttle is being developed that will better open up the rural areas and, specifically for older people, serve as a public alternative to owning a car.

(dpa/tk) In the northwest of Berlin, a large-scale trial is beginning these days that is likely to be of interest to the taxi industry: The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) are launching their largest pilot project to date on autonomous driving. Five fully electric minibuses will be on the roads in the coming weeks in the districts of Spandau, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Reinickendorf – at first still without passengers.

The Alphabet company is pushing ahead with its expansion into Europe. In partnership with Moove and Jaguar Land Rover, a ride-hailing service is being created that is intended to complement London's mobility mix and to improve road safety.

A social-media prank disrupted Waymo's autonomous vehicle fleet. Dozens of taxis drove into a dead end at the same time — deliberately ordered by a user who dubbed it the 'first DDoS attack on Waymo.' The company responded promptly with a ban.

Golem.de reports that the Chinese manufacturer Ehang recently unveiled a new autonomous flying taxi with the VT35. The electrically powered eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) is currently in the testing phase and is planned to be used in the future for passenger traffic in urban agglomerations, island groups or coastal regions.

Technology companies such as Waymo and Tesla are pushing the robotaxi business forward. While in metropolitan areas the first driverless vehicles are on the road, the traditional taxi industry faces growing competitive pressure and open regulatory questions.

Three collisions on the first day, an injured passenger and another incident without official mention – Tesla's entry into the robotaxi market raises questions about the technology and the FSD system.

Tesla's plans for an autonomous ride-hailing service are facing criticism. According to the industry outlet Electrek, a small fleet of robotaxis in Austin was involved in three accidents a few weeks after its launch in July. In two cases, there was only property damage; in one case, a person sustained minor injuries but did not require hospitalization.

The Bavarian state capital is becoming the European pilot site for highly automated driving. Momenta is relying on AI technology that is already built into hundreds of thousands of vehicles and is being tested in robotaxi operations in Shanghai.