Uber has chosen Munich as the location for its upcoming robotaxi initiative, collaborating with Autobrains and Nvidia.

      The ride-hailing firm is banking on Germany's automotive hub and a less sensor-intensive approach to achieving scale for robotaxis in Europe. Munich is set to test a specific theory: that the most cost-effective method of deploying a driverless taxi in Europe is to forgo the creation of specialized vehicles. On Sunday, Uber announced it will initiate a robotaxi program in Munich, in partnership with Autobrains, an Israeli autonomous vehicle firm, utilizing Nvidia’s DRIVE Hyperion platform.

      This announcement occurred at Nvidia’s GTC conference in Taipei, and the implementation is subject to German regulatory approval. The selection of Munich is significant, as it is home to BMW and a dense concentration of suppliers, providing the combination of features Uber seeks: narrow urban streets, speedy ring roads, and what the company describes as “a thoughtful German regulatory framework.” Since 2021, Germany has had federal regulations allowing driverless vehicles in designated operating areas, making it one of the few European regions where a Level 4 service presents a documentation issue rather than a legal barrier.

      What sets this initiative apart is the autonomy stack. Most existing robotaxis, such as those operated by Waymo and its contemporaries, rely on custom-built vehicles equipped with lidar and a single comprehensive model designed to handle all scenarios. In contrast, Autobrains offers an “agentic AI” that divides the driving task into specialized agents, each focused on a specific aspect of the problem, utilizing standard automotive sensors and regular automotive-grade computing. This approach is touted as more cost-effective and easier to integrate with any car manufacturer’s models.

      That last aspect is a key commercial concept Uber keeps highlighting. The three companies characterize the program as “OEM-agnostic,” indicating that the software is intended to operate across various manufacturers’ vehicles rather than being confined to a unique custom fleet. “Autonomous driving will not scale by relying on a single model to solve every driving scenario,” stated Igal Raichelgauz, CEO and founder of Autobrains. “It requires systems that can reason, adapt, and make decisions under uncertainty.”

      Uber, which divested its self-driving unit in 2020, has spent the intervening years forming partnerships rather than developing the technology in-house. This strategy mirrors its Tokyo pilot collaboration with Wayve and Nissan, as well as its partnership with Pony.ai and Verne, which launched Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb earlier this year. Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's global head of autonomous mobility, described the Munich effort in similar terms: the challenge lies in integrating these systems into a commercial network that can consistently serve riders at scale.

      Several details were left unaddressed. The companies did not disclose a launch date, fleet size, or specific vehicle types. They did not indicate which car manufacturer, if any, would provide the cars, nor whether initial rides would feature safety operators as they do in Zagreb. The Munich initiative also aligns with a target Uber announced last year when it first expressed an interest in commencing self-driving operations in the city, thereby solidifying a timeline rather than establishing a new one.

      Europe has been a continent where robotaxis are often announced but rarely ridden. Munich is now included in the list of locations expected to see change, pending approval from regulators.