Bolt and Pony.ai Join Forces to Launch Robotaxis Across Europe

European ride-hailing firm Bolt has entered a landmark partnership with Chinese autonomous-driving specialist Pony.ai to bring self-driving, "robotaxi" services to cities across Europe.

Under the deal, Pony.ai's Level 4 autonomous driving system capable of handling driving without human intervention under predefined conditions will be integrated into Bolt's mobility ecosystem. The first phase, starting in 2026, will center on real-world testing, rigorous safety validation, and user-experience design.

Although Bolt and Pony.ai have not yet revealed which specific European cities will be among the first to get the robotaxis, the plan includes both EU member states and non-EU European countries.

Speaking about the collaboration, Bolt's founder and CEO, Markus Villig, noted that the company is "proud to partner with Pony.ai as the company scales its autonomous driving technology." He emphasized that Bolt, as the only independent European-founded ride-hailing platform competing globally, is "uniquely positioned to help scale autonomous vehicles responsibly and efficiently, in full alignment with Europe's safety and data standards."

For Pony.ai, this move represents a major step in its global expansion. The company already runs fully driverless robotaxi services in several Chinese cities and operates a fleet of autonomous vehicles with millions of kilometers logged on public roads giving it significant operational experience.

This partnership comes at a time when many Chinese autonomous-driving companies are shifting focus to Europe, after facing regulatory headwinds in the US market. Meanwhile, European regulators and safety authorities remain cautious, as most countries still allow only lower-level (driver-assisted) autonomous systems in public transport.

Bolt and Pony.ai's plan signals a bold push to overcome these barriers. If successful, it could reshape urban mobility across Europe offering a glimpse of a future where self-driving taxis operate alongside conventional ride-hailing services. Cobra-like convenience, fewer emissions, and safer roads might all be part of this transformation.

Bolt and Pony.ai say this is only the beginning. Their road-maps suggest that once testing and safety validation conclude, fully driverless services could roll out broadly potentially redefining how people and goods move across European cities.

As Europe watches closely, the world may soon witness the next frontier in mobility robotaxis silently navigating city streets, steering us into a self-driving future.