Uber, WeRide Expand Robotaxi Partnership, Targeting 15 More Cities with $100m Investment

The autonomous ambitions of Uber's vehicle are accelerating. The giant ride in the hailing expands its cooperation with the Chinese driving technology company Weride, with plans to launch Robotaxi services in 15 additional cities outside China and the US over the next five years.

This development complies with their initial launch of the commercial robotaxi in Abu Dhabi five months ago, an adventure that was also involved in the local transportation of Occupy transport.

As part of the expansion, Uber will be in charge of $ 100 million in weride. The cash is expected to transfer the second half of 2025, according to a regulatory filing that has been published Wednesday. Additional cities include locations in Europe, including Uber integration with weride services in its app as it does in Abu Dhabi.

The deal is a model after the US collaboration with Waymo. Under this organization, Uber administers the confrontation and access to the customer through its platform, while autonomous car partner, Waymo in the US and weride in this case, provides AV technology. In Abu Dhabi, Uber and Weride are in charge of the service through the local fleet operator Tawasul and are also planning to expand in Dubai.

Weride, who went public to NasdaQ in October 2024, said the new fund would deepen the global control and support its further development of AV tech.

“Additional cities will focus on the markets where Uber operates and where AV regulations are desirable,” the company said in a statement.

This step is the latest in a string of autonomous partnership that Uber has been chased worldwide. Over the past two months, Uber announced a separate deal with US-based mayo mobility and China. Over the past two years, Uber has been locked in more than 15 cooperation with autonomous tech firms throughout the ride, delivery, and shipment.

Uber's most high profile partnership remains in Waymo. The two current offers of Robotaxi ride in Austin and are preparing to launch in Atlanta.

Internal shift in the middle of external expansion

This expansion came in a moment of internal return to Uber. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is forced in advance in a series of workplace changes that some employees are fighting – and he or she is open.

In an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, Khosrowshahi made it clear that as the company appreciated its workers, those who refused to cheat in its direction were free to continue.

“The good news is that the economy is really strong. The work market is strong,” he said. “People who work with Uber, they have many opportunities everywhere.”

The CEO emphasized that Uber was not trying to get rid of people, but that change was inevitable.

“We want them to, obviously, to take a chance with us, to take a chance to learn,” he said.

The company's latest policies require corporate staff who are in office at least three days a week, particularly Tuesday through Thursday. Monday and Friday can work remotely. Remote workers were also asked to return to physical offices. In addition, the tenure requirement for a paid sabbatical is expanded, even if Uber does not disclose how many years.

“We want a lot of people in the office,” said Khosrowshahi, who has been moving as an effort to support collaboration and mentorship. “This is the right mixture of providing flexibility to your employees but bringing them to the office for important tasks in teamwork.”

A Uber spokesperson made it clear that policy changes were not tied to any planned disappearance and were not meant to spur characteristics. Starting in June, the new hybrid work structure will take effect.

Uber's bearing reflects a broader trend in the big tech where executives have again provided workplace standards and cutting the perks introduced during the pandema. Amazon recently organized its compensation structure to reward leading performers while cutting down the income of the underperformers. META chief technology official Andrew Bosworth told employees that they could either “disagree and make” or leave after the company rolled into diversity, equity, and integration initiatives and began trimming low-performance staff.

In Microsoft and other giant tech, work cuts are increasingly tied to individual performance reviews.

Uber's Robotaxi Push and internal restracting repair highlight a balancing action: While the company has invested in the transportation of the next generation, it also consists of workers' expectations. Khosrowshahi estimates that employees who remain in line with Uber's long -term goals, both technological and culture.