Pony.ai Gen-7 Robotaxi Testing Begins in Manchester 2026

Key Points

• On October 14, 2026, Pony.ai, Uber, and Verne revealed that Pony.ai’s seventh-generation (Gen-7) Robotaxis will be tested in Manchester.
• Manchester is the second UK city after the announced London project on October 8, 2026.
• The Robotaxis are surveying the streets of Manchester with a safety operator-driver driving it, while there are no passengers carried onboard.
• Uber revealed that they will be piloting autonomous vehicles with Verne and Pony.ai in Manchester, which builds on the companies’ services in Zagreb, Croatia.
• There have been no announcements about when the public passenger services would start and what fares they will be charging, boundaries of their services, and how many vehicles will be involved.
• TfGM claimed that no applications were made to operate driverless taxis in Greater Manchester.
• The vehicles reportedly operated with a government license issued by DVSA and Department for Transport.
• According to Pony.ai, the residents and tourists make nearly six million trips daily in Greater Manchester.
• Pony.ai and Uber had previously outlined their plans to operate more than 2,000 robotaxis in five European cities.

Manchester (Manchester Mirror) October 14, 2026 – Pony.ai has begun testing its Gen-7 Robotaxi in Manchester, extending its UK presence to a second city less than a week after announcing plans for London. The development was announced jointly by Pony.ai, Uber and Verne, with testing already under way on the city’s roads.

As reported by Gasgoo, the companies said Pony.ai’s seventh-generation Robotaxi had “officially arrived” in Manchester and that vehicle testing was under way. The announcement came less than a week after the firms announced their London project on October 8, marking another step in Pony.ai’s European expansion.

Uber said in a statement shared online:

“Today, we’re announcing that we’re partnering with Verne and Pony.ai to pilot autonomous vehicles in Manchester. Building on our service together in Zagreb, Gen-7 Robotaxis are now testing in Manchester.”

Pony.ai also confirmed the move in a social media post, stating:

“London last week. Manchester next! We’re extending our collaboration with Uber and Verne from Zagreb to Manchester, with plans to bring Pony.ai’s Gen-7 Robotaxis to the city. Testing is underway.”

Are Passengers Being Carried in Manchester?

No passengers are being carried during the current Manchester testing phase. As reported by Taxi Point, the initial operation involves vehicles mapping the city’s streets with a safety driver behind the wheel, while no passengers are present in the cabin.

The Guardian, cited by UNN, reported that the testing involves mapping Manchester’s streets and that an operator-driver remains behind the wheel to ensure safety. It added that there are no passengers in the vehicle during this stage.

Zag Daily similarly reported that the vehicles are mapping the city’s streets with safety drivers behind the wheel and that no passengers are being carried. The publication stated that Manchester is the first UK city outside London where robotaxi testing has been announced as part of plans for an autonomous taxi service.

The companies have not announced when paying passengers might be able to use the service in Manchester. Taxi Point reported that neither Uber nor its partners have disclosed a passenger launch date, proposed fares or the geographical boundaries of a future service.

Why Is Manchester Important for Pony.ai?

Manchester becomes the second UK city in which Pony.ai has announced a robotaxi presence, after London. Gasgoo reported that, together with London, the Manchester deployment establishes a two-city presence across what it described as the UK’s core economic corridor, allowing Pony.ai to test its technology in different urban environments.

Pony.ai said the Manchester move extends its collaboration with Uber and Verne from Zagreb to the UK city. In its social media announcement, the company described the development as a step towards “more cities, better mobility choices” and said it was bringing autonomous mobility “closer to everyday life”.

Uber’s post described Manchester as a “first step” towards making the technology accessible to people across the UK. The company said the Gen-7 Robotaxis are now testing in Manchester, building on the partners’ service together in Zagreb.

EVwire reported that Pony.ai noted Greater Manchester residents and visitors make nearly six million journeys every day. The publication also reported that Uber has invested in Verne, although that detail was attributed to EVwire rather than to a direct company statement in the available coverage.

What Role Does Each Company Play?

The Manchester programme brings together three companies with distinct roles. According to Zag Daily, Uber provides access to passengers through its ride-hailing platform, Pony AI supplies the autonomous driving technology, and Verne contributes the operational framework.

EVwire quoted a statement attributed to the partnership:

“Pony.ai brings proven autonomous driving technology and large-scale operating experience, Uber connects us to riders through its global mobility platform, and Verne contributes its service ecosystem and operational framework. Together, we’re working to make autonomous mobility accessible to more cities and communities.”

Uber’s own announcement identified Verne and Pony.ai as its partners in the Manchester pilot. The ride-hailing company said the Gen-7 Robotaxis are now testing in the city, building on the partners’ existing service in Zagreb.

Taxi Point reported that Pony.ai separately confirmed that testing of its Gen-7 robotaxis was under way in Manchester and that the companies intended to work with local stakeholders as their plans developed.

What Approvals Are Needed for a Manchester Service?

The current testing does not amount to a passenger service. Zag Daily reported that Transport for Greater Manchester has confirmed it has received no applications to operate driverless taxis in the city region.

Taxi Point also reported that TfGM confirmed no applications had been submitted to operate driverless taxis in the city region. The publication said the number of vehicles involved in the Manchester programme had not been disclosed.

UNN, citing The Guardian, reported that no official application to launch passenger services in Manchester had yet been submitted. It further reported that the vehicles were operating under a government licence issued by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the Department for Transport.

EVwire similarly reported TfGM’s position that permission to operate autonomous vehicles is granted by the UK Government and that “no applications have been made to operate driverless taxis in Greater Manchester” so far.

How Does Manchester Follow the London Announcement?

The Manchester announcement follows Pony.ai and Uber’s London plans, announced on October 8, 2026. EVwire reported at the time that Pony.ai was bringing its Gen-7 robotaxis to London through its partnership with Uber, with testing expected to begin in the coming weeks.

Ground News reported that the companies announced on October 8, 2026 that testing of Pony.ai’s seventh-generation robotaxis would begin in London in the coming weeks.

The London programme is separate from Uber’s earlier supervised autonomous passenger journeys with British technology company Wayve. Taxi Point reported that Uber launched those supervised journeys in London on September 3, and that it announced plans earlier in October to introduce Pony.ai’s Gen-7 vehicles to the capital.

In London, UNN reported that limited passenger services began in the month before the Manchester announcement, although an operator-driver was seated in the front of vehicles provided by Wayve, in line with licensing requirements imposed by Transport for London on private-hire operators.

What Has Not Been Announced?

Several important details remain undisclosed. Taxi Point reported that the number of vehicles involved in Manchester has not been revealed, and that no passenger launch date, fares or service-area boundaries have been announced.

Zag Daily likewise reported that Pony AI and Uber have not announced that the Manchester programme will carry passengers under the current scheme, nor have they set a timetable for passenger operations.

EVwire reported that no date has been set for public rides in Manchester. It also reported that Pony.ai and Uber plan to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across Europe, beginning in the UK with London.

Pony.ai’s wider European plans were set out in a September press release, which said the company was expanding its collaboration with Uber to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across five cities in Europe.

Background of the Development

Pony.ai’s Manchester testing follows its October 8 announcement that Gen-7 robotaxis would be brought to London through its partnership with Uber. EVwire reported that Pony.ai had not shared a timeline for public rides in London at that stage, but said it would work with local and national government officials and partners as it moved towards self-driving trials under the UK’s autonomous vehicle regulations.

The Manchester programme also builds on the companies’ existing collaboration in Zagreb, Croatia. Uber said its Manchester pilot builds on the service it operates with Verne and Pony.ai in the Croatian capital.

UNN reported that Uber recently launched Europe’s first autonomous taxi service with Pony.ai and Verne in Zagreb. The report said the partnership is now being extended to Manchester, where initial testing is focused on mapping the city’s streets.

Gasgoo characterised the move as part of Pony.ai’s European expansion, noting that the London and Manchester deployments give the company a presence in two UK cities within a week.

Prediction: What Could This Mean for Manchester Residents and Drivers?

For Manchester residents and visitors, the development could eventually introduce another transport option, but only if the companies secure the necessary approvals and move beyond mapping and safety-driver testing. At present, no passenger service has been applied for in Greater Manchester, so residents should not expect bookable robotaxi journeys imminently.

For Manchester’s taxi and private-hire drivers, the announcement signals that autonomous vehicle companies are actively assessing the city as a potential market. However, the absence of a passenger launch application, timetable or commercial details means the immediate operational impact on drivers remains unclear.

For local policymakers and transport bodies, the testing may increase scrutiny of how autonomous services would be regulated, licensed and integrated with existing transport networks. TfGM’s confirmation that no driverless-taxi applications have been received indicates that any future passenger operation would still require a separate approval process.

For Pony.ai, Uber and Verne, Manchester provides an additional UK urban environment in which to test Gen-7 vehicles before any commercial launch. If testing progresses and regulatory applications follow, the city could become a further location in the companies’ wider plan to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis across Europe.