Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Abu Dhabi's ambition to position itself at the forefront of next-generation mobility took a major step forward on December 9, as Mercedes-Benz, China's autonomous-driving specialist Momenta and UAE mobility operator Lumo unveiled the first luxury autonomous taxi fleet in the emirate. Built on the latest generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class platform, the service will begin commercial operations next year, with the partners targeting expansion into additional global markets thereafter.
Positioned as the world's first scalable autonomous taxi built on a mass-production luxury vehicle platform, the fleet combines Mercedes-Benz's hallmark cabin experience with full L4 autonomous capability developed by Momenta. Operational support will be provided by Lumo, whose local ecosystem is expected to underpin the project's commercial rollout. Together, the companies aim to establish a new benchmark for premium driverless mobility.
H.E. Faisal Abdulaziz Al Bannai, advisor on strategic research and advanced technology to the UAE President and secretary general of the Advanced Technology Research Council, said the initiative reflects the highest standards in engineering and autonomous-driving innovation. He noted that the UAE offers a uniquely supportive environment for developing and deploying future mobility solutions, thanks to its clear long-term strategy, operational efficiency and sustained investment in innovation.
Joerg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management and Chief Technology Officer at Mercedes-Benz Group, emphasized that the S-Class-based autonomous taxis integrate advanced safety technologies with high-end comfort, reinforcing both the brand's leadership in automated mobility and its broader role in shaping the future of intelligent transport worldwide.
Momenta CEO Cao Xudong said the partnership brings together Mercedes-Benz's century-long engineering legacy, Momenta's AI-driven autonomous-driving stack and Lumo's localized operational expertise. The vehicles rely on Momenta's R6 reinforcement-learning model, designed to deliver a safe, refined and highly automated mobility experience.
Mercedes-Benz and Momenta have been long-standing partners in autonomous driving, with their collaboration dating back to 2017 when the German automaker became the first international OEM to invest in the Chinese startup. The two companies say their ongoing work reflects a shared vision for redefining mobility through advanced automation.
The partners have already co-developed an intelligent driving-assist system built on Momenta's large-scale "flywheel" AI model. Capable of handling motorway, urban and parking scenarios, the system enables end-to-end assisted driving and debuted on the all-electric Mercedes-Benz CLA launched in November. Mercedes-Benz plans to roll the technology out across a wider range of models, expanding its portfolio of safe, intelligent and premium driving experiences.
