PARIS: Self-driving taxis, already booming in the United States and China, are emerging in Europe, with major companies launching trials this year in several capitals and the European Union set to step on the accelerator Monday.
In China and the United States, private fleets of “robotaxis” — driverless cars loaded with sensors — more than doubled in 2025 to reach 8,000 vehicles across more than two dozen major cities, according to a May report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Seven years behind schedule, trials will finally start across Europe over the coming months. In France — where no trials are scheduled for the moment — planning high commissioner Clement Beaune recently criticised the EU for in his words “lagging behind”. European regulations say a “safety driver” must be on board the vehicle, their hands on their lap — as was the case in the early days of testing in China and the United States.
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