(ECNS) -- WeRide, a Chinese autonomous driving technology company, announced Thursday that it has obtained Spain's first license for the operation of Level 4 autonomous passenger vehicles, allowing it to deploy robotaxis on public roads. The approval marks the first time Spain has granted national-level access for L4 robotaxi operations.
As one of Europe's largest mobility markets, Spain receives nearly 100 million tourists each year. Madrid, the capital, has strong commuter demand and a well-developed ride-hailing ecosystem, providing a solid commercial foundation for autonomous mobility services.
After completing preparatory work and meeting relevant operational and regulatory requirements, WeRide and its partners expect to launch commercial robotaxi services for the public within 2026. Users in Madrid will be able to hail WeRide robotaxis through designated platforms with a single tap. As key operational targets are gradually met, the service area will continue to expand, paving the way for fully driverless commercial robotaxi operations across Madrid's core urban areas.
Under the license, initial deployment and testing will begin first. In the early stage, dozens of robotaxis equipped with WeRide's latest-generation autonomous driving technology will be deployed for testing across several high-demand areas of Madrid, with each vehicle staffed by an onboard safety officer.
The license is also WeRide's first national-level approval for robotaxi operations in the European Union, providing a regulatory reference for future vehicle certification and commercialization in other European markets. With the latest approval, WeRide now holds autonomous driving licenses in nine countries, including China, Spain, Belgium, France, Singapore and the United States.
Li Xuan, WeRide's chief financial officer and head of international operations, said the company will work with its partners to launch Spain's first commercial robotaxi service, with plans to open it to the public by the end of 2026.
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