A fleet of Mercedes-Benz robotaxis will take to the streets of Abu Dhabi next year as the capital's autonomous transport drive moves up a gear.
The German car manufacturer has joined forces with Lumo, a UAE national taxi company specialising in autonomous transport, and Momenta, a global leader in AI driving technology, to launch a premium self-driving service.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class taxis will be rolled out in the emirate in 2026, with plans to expand into international markets.
Abu Dhabi, and the wider UAE, is using advanced technology to shape the rapidly-evolving transport sector.
No details were revealed on the number of cars or the pricing structure for the taxi service.
“This partnership between Mercedes, Momenta and Lumo reflects the highest standards of engineering and autonomous intelligence,” said Faisal Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs.
“Bringing these strengths together here in the UAE is no coincidence – the nation offers the ideal environment to test, refine and showcase the future of mobility.
“Nowhere else in the world provides the same clarity of vision, speed of execution and commitment to innovation.”
Joerg Burzer, chief technology officer at Mercedes-Benz AG, set out the company's vision to be at the heart of a public transport revolution in the Emirates and beyond.
“Today, in partnership with Momenta and Lumo, we are redefining the future mobility benchmark by creating premium robotaxis,” said Mr Burzer.
“We are committed to perfectly blending safety with comfort and sophistication, setting a new standard for global intelligent transportation.”
Robotaxi revolution
Driverless taxis are already in operation in Abu Dhabi. Robotaxi services operated by Uber Technologies and WeRide were launched in November, after two weeks of private trials.
The service uses Chinese company WeRide's van-type Robotaxi GXR, which is equipped with Level 4 autonomy, the penultimate step in fully autonomous driving.
Abu Dhabi is the first city outside the US to host fully driverless robotaxi operations on the Uber platform, according to the San Francisco-based company.
Companies developing autonomous technologies have been racing to put their vehicles on roads, with an increased focus on reliability and safety.
There are six levels of autonomy, from zero to five, in which vehicles do not require human intervention under most circumstances. Level five requires no human attention and vehicles with that status may not have steering wheels or pedals.
