Retail Traders Flock To WeRide Stock As Uber Robotaxi Tie-Up Expansion Fuels After-Hours Surge

Shares of WeRide, Inc. (WRD) soared over 14% in extended trading on Monday following an expanded tie-up in the autonomous driving space, triggering a spike in retail investor enthusiasm.

Nvidia-backed WeRide and ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER) announced plans to expand their autonomous vehicle partnership to 15 additional cities over the next five years, focusing on regions outside the U.S. and China, including Europe.

The move follows successful Robotaxi launches in Abu Dhabi and an upcoming debut in Dubai. 

In each new city, WeRide’s autonomous vehicles will operate through the Uber app, with Uber handling fleet operations.

The news led 24-hour message volume on Stocktwits for WeRide to jump by more than 2,400% — the most among auto stocks — while its follower count rose by over 2%.

Sentiment score turned ‘extremely bullish’ (89/100) for WRD, touching the highest in a month.

One optimistic watcher called the tie-up a "no brainer gap up play," adding that the stock would hit $10 on Tuesday morning.

Another user said WRD is "differentiated" because it is pursuing more niche applications, like mini-buses and street sweepers, in addition to the larger robotaxi and robotrucks.

Guangzhou-based WeRide has been making rapid strides with self-driving rollouts in China. 

Last week, it launched the first fare-charging, driverless robobus line on its home turf. The 13.6-km loop through central Guangzhou connects key city landmarks, with each robobus capable of carrying up to six passengers.

The company has also secured the first batch of driverless road testing licenses from Guangzhou's Nansha District, allowing its Robovan W5 to begin testing on public roads.

WeRide stock, however, has lost over 58% since its October 2024 Nasdaq debut. 

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