Autonomous, efficient, Asian: Uber relies on Momenta from Beijing

The future of driving no longer has a driver - and Uber wants to be at the forefront. In an explosive new partnership, the mobility giant is now teaming up with Momenta, an up-and-coming tech start-up from China, to establish autonomous cabs outside the USA and China. From 2026, the first vehicles are set to roll through Europe's cities without human intervention - with Uber behind them and Chinese AI under the hood.

Security personnel are still in the car to provide reassurance, but the goal is clear: the fully automated driving service. Both companies are still keeping the details of the planned market launch under wraps. But what is already clear is that the alliance with Momenta is a strategic move for Uber - and a clear signal for the competition.

Data, drive and the "flywheel" effect

Momenta is considered one of the most exciting start-ups in the field of autonomous driving. With partners such as Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, General Motors and SAIC, the company has already built up a considerable network. Its trump card: a data-driven approach in which every kilometer driven contributes to the further development of the AI. The system learns from countless real-life driving situations and should therefore drive better and better - and more human-like.

The goal is more than just a comfortable ride: To prevent one million road deaths in the next ten years - that is Momenta's vision. However, there is still a lack of hard, publicly accessible data on accidents, incidents or safety assessments of autonomous systems. So this technology still needs to gain trust.

The battle for the driver's seat of the future

The market for self-driving vehicles is hotly contested - and chaotic. Uber already divested its own autonomous driving department in 2020, but continued to invest: 400 million euros flowed into the Amazon-affiliated company Aurora. At the same time, tests are underway with Motional and Waymo in the USA. Lyft and Tesla (of course with Elon Musk's usual loud forecast: "90 percent market share in robotaxis") are also stepping on the gas.

In Europe, on the other hand, Uber is now setting a different course - and the new cooperation with Momenta could be the decisive boost. Incidentally, German car giant Volkswagen also wants to send self-driving vehicles onto US roads together with Uber from 2026.

Is Europe becoming a testing ground for externally controlled technology?

Autonomous driving sounds like progress, but we are seeing a dangerous shortcut. While safety rules, ethical debates and test data are hotly debated in the USA, Uber is bringing Chinese AI into its home - and testing it in Europe first. Why here in particular? Because our cities are apparently being used as test laboratories, while the manufacturers are keeping their distance.

Who controls the technology? Who is liable in an emergency? And what happens to the collected data, which knows more about every driving behavior, every route, every face in the rear-view mirror than any driving instructor? Anyone who thinks this is just a dream of the future should take a look at the calendar: 2026 is the day after tomorrow.