Bolt challenges Tesla, Waymo… and the others!
- Published on 26/11/2025 8:38
- Modified on 26/11/2025 10:30
Bolt presents a strategic partnership that paves the way for European adoption of the robotaxi, but its success will depend on Pony.ai.
Paris, November 25, 2025 – Bolt, a European mobility giant, announces a partnership with Pony.ai to test and deploy autonomous vehicles on the continent. Officially, this is a collaboration between two complementary players: one masters the European terrain, while the other brings driverless technology. However, beyond the communication, the real balance of the project is more nuanced.
Bolt, with its presence in over 600 cities and strong footing in Europe, primarily acts as a showcase and logistical support. Its role will be to open markets, navigate regulatory frameworks, and integrate future robotaxis into its ecosystem. In short, the company will provide the commercial and operational infrastructure necessary for Pony.ai to test its vehicles in varied environments. The first experiments will take place in a limited number of pilot cities, chosen for their regulatory maturity and capacity to accommodate extended trials.
The key to success will be technological
The real challenge, however, lies on the technological side. Pony.ai is entering a field where the benchmarks are already firmly established. Waymo has multiplied deployments on open roads and now operates fully autonomous services in several American cities. Tesla, for its part, claims global coverage for its vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance features, all while pursuing its quest for “Full Self-Driving”. Faced with these pioneers, Pony.ai must demonstrate technological maturity equivalent to, if not greater than, to sustainably establish itself.
The company is not a newcomer: it has accumulated over 55 million kilometers of autonomous testing worldwide and relies on partnerships in eight countries. However, penetrating the European market — more fragmented, more stringent in terms of standards, and more cautious regarding technological promises — poses a challenge of a different nature.
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By partnering with Bolt, Pony.ai gains privileged access to users, operational data, and European urban environments. However, the success of this initiative will rely less on Bolt’s scale than on Pony.ai’s ability to compete with the global leaders who are already well advanced. The partnership opens a door; the most critical work lies ahead.
READ ALSO: What do taxis and VTCs stand to lose with the emergence of Robotaxis?
This page is translated from the original post "Bolt défie Tesla, Waymo… et les autres !" in French.
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