WeRide Teams Up With Tencent Cloud To Accelerate Global Robotaxi Ambitions

WeRide Inc. (WRD) announced on Tuesday that it is collaborating with Tencent Cloud to expand its robotaxi ambitions globally.

WeRide’s stock was up 1.5% at the time of writing.

According to the deal, WeRide will leverage Tencent Cloud’s global infrastructure to offer its intelligent driving services to customers worldwide.

With this partnership, WeRide is looking to offer Level-4 autonomous robotaxi services. The company said these services will be integrated into Tencent Smart Recognition Mini Program on Weixin, WeChat, and Tencent Maps platforms.

L4, or Level-4, is a stage of autonomous driving in which the vehicle can handle dynamic driving tasks such as intervening in situations that would be difficult for humans to manage. 

However, this is done within a limited area, owing to legislative requirements.

“With a view toward global expansion, both parties will jointly develop intelligent driving solutions for international markets,” WeRide said in its announcement.

The company said Tencent Cloud will allow it to offer localized and compliant cloud services in countries outside of China, enabling it to accelerate the commercial rollout of its robotaxi services overseas.

This partnership builds on an agreement signed between WeRide and Tencent Cloud in April 2024. As per the agreement, the companies kick-started a collaboration to develop an autonomous driving cloud platform, which could then be offered as a service to global original equipment manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers.

WeRide said it completed the mass production of a driver assistance solution in partnership with Bosch using Tencent Cloud's infrastructure and support.

WeRide currently operates in more than 30 cities in 10 countries and holds a driverless permit in the U.S., China, Singapore, France, and the UAE.

The company offers autonomous driving products from L2 to L4 categories.

WeRide’s stock is down nearly 40% year-to-date.

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