Seven years behind schedule, autonomous vehicle trials are finally set to expand across Europe in the coming months.
On Monday, 17 European transport ministers signed a declaration backing large-scale cross-border testing of autonomous vehicles, alongside EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
The move aims to make testing easier by creating a common framework across participating countries.
It marks a shift away from fragmented national pilot schemes towards a coordinated European approach to testing and preparing autonomous vehicles for future deployment.
One of the biggest hurdles for the industry has been Europe’s patchwork of national rules. Different testing permits, approval procedures and road and data requirements have made it difficult for companies to launch services across borders.
The declaration was signed by France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden.
The initiative focuses on areas such as public transport, freight and logistics.
Participating countries will work on common approval principles and coordinated permitting procedures while carrying out large-scale testing projects across Europe.
The announcement comes as autonomous vehicle activity gathers pace across the continent.
Also on Monday, Uber and British startup Wayve opened a public waiting list for autonomous taxi rides in London. The service is expected to launch within months, with safety operators on board, marking the first time the UK public can register for a robotaxi service.
Where in Europe are robotaxis ready to launch?
Self-driving taxis are already operating at scale in the United States and China. Now Europe is trying to catch up, with major companies launching trials across the continent.
Zagreb is emerging as the first market for commercial robotaxi service in Europe, according to Uber, which started one of Europe’s earliest robotaxi trials in the capital of Croatia, on 8 April. The firm teamed up with Chinese company Pony.ai and Croatian startup Verne, and launched a trial involving around 10 autonomous taxis in the city.
At the same time, London is preparing for trials by three major operators this year: Waymo, owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet; Wayve, in partnership with Uber; and Apollo Go, a subsidiary of Chinese technology giant Baidu.
In Madrid, Chinese company WeRide has announced a trial with Uber, while Munich is set to host robotaxis powered by technology from Chinese firm Momenta.
In Switzerland, Apollo Go has partnered with Swiss Post on a pilot programme, while Stellantis and Pony.ai are planning a trial in Luxembourg.
Ride-hailing platforms, including Uber, Lyft and Bolt, have become key partners in many of these projects.
Waymo says it operates around 3,000 driverless taxis across a dozen US cities. Apollo Go reports a similar-sized fleet operating in 27 Chinese cities and Dubai. Pony.ai has about 1,700 vehicles and aims to expand to 3,500 by the end of 2026, while WeRide operates around 1,000.
In China and the United States, fleets of driverless taxis more than doubled in 2025 to around 8,000 vehicles operating across more than two dozen cities, according to the International Energy By 2035, the IEA forecasts there will be between 700,000 and three million robotaxis worldwide.
Consultancy BCG expects around three million robotaxis globally by that date, including 850,000 in China, 350,000 in the United States and 120,000 in Europe.
Experts say Europe has been slower to adopt the technology because of stricter safety rules and a stronger public transport culture.
But momentum is building.
“London is ready, Madrid too,” said autonomous mobility expert Hervé de Tréglodé. “We may see commercial service by 2027.”