Major Tech Giants Encircle Robotaxi: Can WeRide Hold onto Its "First-Mover Advantage"

Starting in 2025, when Robotaxi enters the era of large-scale operation, the capital market’s standards for autonomous driving companies are shifting from purely “technological competition” to actual results in “commercialization and monetization.”

As one of the leading players in China’s Robotaxi sector, WeRide has taken the lead in showcasing its performance.

In 2025, WeRide’s revenue reached 690 million yuan, a significant year-over-year increase of 90%. Of this, revenue in the fourth quarter was 314 million yuan, up 123% year-over-year; during the same period, net loss was 1.66 billion yuan, narrowing by over 30% compared to the previous year.

The strong growth in performance is primarily driven by the accelerated expansion of the Robotaxi business.

In 2025, revenue from WeRide’s Robotaxi-related products and services reached 148 million yuan, a substantial increase of 209.6% year-over-year.

By the end of 2025, the total number of WeRide’s global Robotaxis reached 1,125, setting a new record.

However, as the Robotaxi business model gradually matures, the sector is becoming increasingly crowded.

Previously, the domestic Robotaxi market was mainly dominated by three autonomous driving technology companies: Luobo Kuaipao, Xiaoma Zhixing, and WeRide. But since 2025, ride-hailing platforms like Didi, Cao Cao Mobility, Hello, and Amap, as well as automakers like Xpeng, have entered the competition, raising concerns about future competitive pressures for WeRide.

In response, WeRide’s management stated during a conference call on the evening of March 23: “Autonomous taxis from L2 to L4 require safety operation qualifications and continuous capability verification. This includes hardware maturity, system architecture, and approval from regulatory authorities. These are hurdles that competitors must overcome one by one. We have accumulated extensive experience in this area and hold significant advantages in L4 autonomous taxis. We welcome competitors to join this highly competitive market.”

According to plans, WeRide expects its global Robotaxi fleet to expand to 2,600 vehicles by the end of 2026, aiming for a long-term goal of deploying tens of thousands of vehicles worldwide before 2030.

In this process, overseas markets have become a key engine supporting WeRide’s strategic plan.

Currently, WeRide is accelerating global penetration through deep cooperation with Uber. Management revealed during the conference call that by 2027, the fleet cooperation scale on the platform is expected to reach over a thousand vehicles.

At present, WeRide mainly advances its Robotaxi operations overseas through collaboration with Uber.

Management also indicated that, regarding the partnership with Uber, they expect to achieve a cooperation scale of over a thousand vehicles by 2027.

Additionally, regarding the highly关注ed Middle Eastern market, management stated that all related businesses are progressing steadily:

“We have obtained a city-level license in Abu Dhabi and will start operations in Dubai this year. Securing licenses in these two key Middle Eastern cities is a great starting point,” WeRide noted. “From a regulatory perspective, a good safety record and strong relationships with partners will also facilitate faster expansion. Currently, we are closely monitoring business development and expansion, working closely with local and overseas teams to continuously grow our fleet. At present, there are no material shortages affecting our progress, and everything remains under control.”

The rapid growth in revenue and substantial narrowing of losses have helped WeRide build more “reserves” in the capital-intensive, long-cycle autonomous driving sector.

However, it is undeniable that as major mobility giants and new car-making forces enter the scene, competition in the domestic market is intensifying further.

In the second half of autonomous driving, the true commercialization race has just begun.

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