Uber Technologies and autonomous driving startup Pony.ai have officially announced a collaboration to integrate Pony.ai’s self-driving vehicles into the Uber ride-hailing network. The partnership is scheduled to begin with a pilot program in the United States in 2025, marking a significant expansion of Uber’s efforts to incorporate autonomous technology into its existing consumer-facing app.

Under the terms of the agreement, users in select markets will have the option to be matched with a Pony.ai autonomous vehicle when requesting a ride through the Uber platform. This move follows a broader industry trend where ride-hailing giants are increasingly looking to partner with specialized robotics firms to scale their autonomous fleets without the massive capital expenditure required to develop the technology in-house.

While the companies have framed this as a milestone for the future of transportation, the rollout remains subject to local regulatory approvals and safety testing. The partnership aims to leverage Uber’s massive user base and logistical infrastructure alongside Pony.ai’s proprietary autonomous driving software and hardware stack. Neither company has yet disclosed the specific financial terms of the deal or the exact cities where the initial launch will occur, though both parties expressed optimism regarding the long-term scalability of the model.