GERMAN luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz and Chinese autonomous driving company Momenta have partnered to launch a robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi.

The companies will deploy a fleet of robotaxis based on the next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan in Abu Dhabi via UAE mobility service operator Lumo’s platform.

The robotaxi service is scheduled to commence official operations in Abu Dhabi in 2026, with plans to expand to other global markets in the future, Momenta stated.

The collaboration leverages Mercedes-Benz's engineering capabilities, Momenta's AI technology, and Lumo's localized operational expertise, said Momenta CEO Cao Xudong.

Mercedes-Benz and Momenta have maintained a multi-year partnership, with Mercedes-Benz becoming the first international automaker to invest in Suzhou-based Momenta in 2017.

In September of this year, the two companies jointly announced plans to co-develop a smart driving assistance system based on Momenta's Flywheel large language model.

On Nov. 5, Mercedes-Benz launched the all-new electric CLA sedan in China, the first model equipped with this system. The technology will be introduced to more Mercedes-Benz models going forward, according to Momenta.

Beyond its partnership with Mercedes-Benz, Momenta announced in September that it will test Level 4 autonomous robotaxis with Uber in Munich, Germany, starting next year.

(SD-Agencies)