Chinese autonomous driving startup Momenta, backed by Mercedes-Benz, plans to deploy several thousand robotaxis on roads by the end of next year, scaling up from more than 100 vehicles today, Finimize reported based on company remarks. The company is currently conducting tests in Abu Dhabi and Munich, and has identified Dubai as its next expansion market.
Momenta is pursuing a dual business model: selling advanced driver-assistance software to vehicle manufacturers and operating its own commercial robotaxi fleet. Shuo Xie, head of Momenta's robotaxi business, told Reuters that the fleet is expected to reach hundreds of vehicles by the end of this year before expanding to several thousand by the end of next year. In addition to the Dubai rollout planned for next year, the company is in discussions with several European cities and considers Japan a priority target.
The international expansion push follows Momenta's initial public offering in Hong Kong in July, which raised approximately $751 million. According to Finimize, the company's shares are trading roughly 45% below their IPO price, with net losses continuing due to substantial research and development investments.
To improve operating margins and lower cost per mile, Momenta is relying on custom computer chips built with XHeart for its autonomous driving software. Xie noted that these chips are projected to cost significantly less than comparable Nvidia computing solutions, adding that XHeart's next-generation X9 chip could power many of Momenta's robotaxis within a couple of years.
Sources
- Finimize · 2026-09-30
