Chinese autonomous driving company Momenta has received approval from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) to conduct Level 4 autonomous driving tests on urban roads across the country, marking a milestone in the company’s European expansion.
Momenta said it is the first Chinese company to obtain a nationwide Level 4 testing permit covering urban roads in Germany, eliminating the need to seek separate approvals from individual cities.
Germany Approval Supports European Expansion
The company said the authorization aligns its safety validation process directly with the European Union’s regulatory framework, allowing more efficient testing while meeting one of the world’s most demanding automotive safety standards.
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Momenta Chief Executive Officer Cao Xudong said Germany represents one of the global benchmarks for autonomous driving regulation.
“Germany is one of the global benchmarks for autonomous-driving regulation, with a rigorous and comprehensive approach that always puts public safety first.”
Cao said the company’s world model enables its autonomous driving system not only to detect surrounding road conditions but also to understand traffic situations by predicting how road users and the physical environment will evolve.
The permit also clears a regulatory pathway for Momenta’s planned robotaxi operations in Germany. The company has partnered with Uber Technologies and intends to launch its first European robotaxi service in Munich.
Uber Expands Investment in Momenta
Uber has also increased its investment in Momenta through its wholly owned subsidiary, SMB Holding Corporation, during the company’s Hong Kong initial public offering earlier this month.
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Public allotment data showed SMB received 397,600 shares in the IPO. Combined with the 791,055 preferred shares acquired during Momenta’s Series C funding round in 2025, Uber now holds approximately 1.19 million shares in the company.
Based on Momenta’s IPO price of HK$295.6 per share, the stake is valued at around HK$351 million (approximately US$45 million).
Momenta was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 8, raising approximately HK$6.8 billion. The company previously said around 20% of the proceeds would be allocated to accelerating the commercialization of its robotaxi business.
Expanding Autonomous Driving Ecosystem
Momenta has spent several years building partnerships with major European automakers, including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Volkswagen Group. Mercedes-Benz became the company’s first international automotive investor after participating in its funding round in 2017.
Beyond Uber, Momenta’s robotaxi ecosystem includes Grab, Lumo and EnjoyGo Technology, the ride-hailing subsidiary of SAIC Motor. Grab also made a strategic investment in the company in late 2025.
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The company is developing a unified world-model-based autonomous driving platform intended to support multiple commercial applications, including passenger vehicles, robotaxis, robovans and autonomous trucks, while also expanding into embodied artificial intelligence technologies.
Earlier this week, Momenta confirmed it had begun operating autonomous delivery vans in Suzhou to provide express and overnight delivery services, marking another step in the commercialization of its autonomous driving platform.