Ride-hailing app Uber is to start a trial of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Germany next year in partnership with Chinese specialist Momenta.

Uber plans to launch the so-called ¡°robotaxis¡± in Munich, which will be the first time it has trialled autonomous vehicles in continental Europe. It has already announced plans to launch a similar initiative in the UK next spring with AI company Wayve.

In a statement, the firms said they had set ¡°the goal of expanding to other European cities¡±, with Munich as the ¡°starting point¡±.

¡°Germany has shaped the global automotive industry for more than a century, and now Munich will help shape the future with autonomous vehicles,¡± explained Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, in a statement.

Uber announced its partnership with Momenta in May when it said it wanted to launch the Chinese firm¡¯s vehicles in Europe in 2026, which will initially be monitored by human safety operators who can take control if necessary. Momenta already works with leading German automotive brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

The move comes after Uber¡¯s ride-hailing rival Lyft announced plans to introduce AVs in the UK and Germany from next year through a deal with another Chinese tech firm Baidu.

Uber is working with around 20 AV specialists around the world to introduce driverless rides. It is already offering Waymo¡¯s vehicles on its app in US cities such as Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco.