# Pony.ai starts Gen-7 robotaxi testing in Manchester, its second UK city

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/stories/pony-ai-starts-gen-7-robotaxi-testing-in-manchester-its-second-uk-city-1988e9b3
Date: 15 Oct 2026
About: [Pony.ai](https://technooptimist.io/companies/pony-ai.md) · [Gen-7 robotaxi](https://technooptimist.io/vehicles/pony-gen7-robotaxi.md)
Original source: https://autonews.gasgoo.com/articles/news/ponyai-launches-gen-7-robotaxi-testing-in-manchester-expanding-uk-presence-to-two-cities-2110679588895416321

Pony.ai, Uber and fleet operator Verne have started testing Pony.ai's seventh-generation robotaxi in Manchester, announced October 15, 2026. It comes less than a week after the London project was announced on October 8. Pony.ai supplies the driving technology, Verne manages local fleet operations and Uber connects passengers through its network. No commercial launch date for Manchester has been given.

## Key facts

- The article does not say whether a safety driver is on board or whether passengers are carried during this testing.
- It does not address regulatory approval for the UK tests.
- Pony.ai and its partners plan more than 2,000 robotaxis across five European cities.
- The same setup runs in Zagreb, where a commercial service launched in April and fully driverless passenger testing began five months later.

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