Estonian ride-hailing company Bolt has partnered with Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai to incorporate driverless cars into its taxi services in Europe. The collaboration begins with testing and validating the safety of fully autonomous vehicle capabilities before they are introduced across various European countries. CEO Markus Villig mentioned that Bolt aims to be among the first platforms to offer fully driverless autonomous vehicles in the EU, targeting a timeline of one year from initial deployments planned for 2026.
The autonomous driving sector is dominated by US companies such as Waymo and Tesla, alongside Chinese firms such as Baidu, WeRide and Pony.ai. With restrictions in the US market, Chinese self-driving technology companies are intensifying efforts in Europe by establishing headquarters, securing data agreements and conducting road tests. This move has raised concerns about competition among local firms.
Recently, Pony.ai entered into an agreement with Stellantis to co-develop and test self-driving vehicles in Europe. While European self-driving technology companies are also testing their systems, most European nations restrict deployment to Level 2 systems, which necessitate driver control at all times. Villig highlighted that many European markets remain inaccessible to ride-hailing services due to outdated operating licenses for professional drivers, urging Europe to avoid similar setbacks with autonomous vehicles.
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