📝 usncan Note: Grab Partners With WeRide To Rollout Robotaxis Across Southeast Asia
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Grab CEO Anthony Tan and WeRide CEO Tony Tan posing in front of a WeRide autonomous vehicle in Shanghai.
Courtesy of Grab and WeRide
Ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings is teaming up with WeRide to accelerate the deployment and commercialization of autonomous vehicles across Southeast.
Under the deal, Singapore-based Grab said it will make a strategic investment to support WeRide’s commercial autonomous vehicle fleet in Southeast Asia and push AI-driven mobility. The transaction is set to be completed in the first half of 2026, it added, without disclosing financial details.
“We want everyone in Southeast Asia to have access to reliable transportation whenever they need it,” Grab Group CEO and co-founder Anthony Tan said in a statement on Friday. “However, manpower constraints remain a challenge. We believe autonomous vehicles can complement our driver network and be deployed in cities with significant driver shortages.”
The expanded partnership follows a preliminary agreement signed by both Nasdaq-listed companies in March this year to explore the technical feasibility and commercial viability of autonomous vehicles in Southeast Asia.
Grab’s investment will accelerate the deployment and commercialization of WeRide’s level 4 autonomous vehicles (which are designed to operate in specific geographies and weather conditions without human intervention) in Southeast Asia, Guangzhou, China-based WeRide said in the statement.
“WeRide’s vision for Southeast Asia is to deploy thousands of Robotaxis across the region,” Tony Han, founder and CEO of WeRide, said. “Grab, our newest partner and investor, is a household name in Southeast Asia with unmatched regional expertise and scale in ride-hailing and digital services.”
WeRide has permits to operate autonomous vehicles across China, France, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and the U.S. It posted a net loss of 406.4 million yuan ($57 million) in the second quarter, slightly narrower than a year ago, as revenue jumped 61% to 127.2 million yuan.
Grab swung to a $35-million net profit in the second quarter, compared with a $53 million net loss a year ago as sales climbed 23% to $819 million on the back of sustained demand for ride-hailing and delivery services in Southeast Asia. It added about two million monthly active users during the quarter, bringing its total to 46 million.
