WeRide, Uber and AVOMO Obtain National Level 4 Authorization in Spain

globenewswire.com reported on September 10, 2026, that WeRide, Uber and AVOMO had obtained national Level 4 authorization in Spain. We have not been able to verify the primary source; please refer to the original for details.

With the DGT issuing a national-level Level 4 authorization, WeRide and Uber can proceed with preparatory public-road testing in Madrid. Regulatory approval, a prerequisite for commercialization, is now in place, making business planning that addresses regulation as well as technology a competitive factor.

The key point is not simply that testing is beginning, but that what is described as Europe's first national-level Level 4 authorization has been issued. Rather than an approval limited to a city or specific conditions, it applies nationwide under the DGT's ES-AV framework, making it significant as a legal precedent. At the same time, the planned activities involve 20 vehicles carrying out mapping, route validation and operational preparations. They are clearly a preliminary step toward commercialization, not commercial operations themselves. Our related article, Waymo Expands to 14 Cities, Reaching 500,000 Paid Rides per Week, described a growth model built by expanding commercial operations city by city. In contrast, the focus of the Spain project is first securing national-level authorization, rather than service capacity. In other words, the competitive focus appears to be shifting from how many vehicles can be deployed to which regulatory framework they can operate under. The roles are divided among WeRide, which provides the vehicles and autonomous driving technology; Uber, which provides the ride-hailing business platform; and AVOMO, which handles operations and maintenance. AVOMO's track record of operating about 400 vehicles in the United States shows that Level 4 involves not only vehicle performance but also the practical work of fleet management and vehicle maintenance. The authorization therefore tests real-world operational capabilities that combine vehicles, operations and regulatory compliance, rather than the algorithm alone. Open questions include when commercial robotaxi service will begin, the conditions for expanding the operating area, plans to increase the fleet beyond 20 vehicles, and how long in-vehicle supervision will continue. It will also be important to see how the authorization affects other cities and companies under the DGT's ES-AV framework.

For Japanese companies, the case highlights the need to develop operations and maintenance under a national-level authorization framework, in addition to vehicle performance. The division of responsibilities among ride-hailing, operations management and vehicle maintenance also shows that software development alone is not enough when planning autonomous driving services in Japan.