A Sino-American Alliance Targets Europe's Streets with Robotaxis

HONG KONG and ANN ARBOR, Mich. – June 24, 2026

The global race to build and operate fleets of autonomous vehicles just saw a formidable new contender enter the ring. In a move that bridges continents and combines distinct industrial strengths, Chinese mobility powerhouse CaoCao and American autonomous vehicle (AV) specialist May Mobility have announced a strategic partnership. Their goal: to commercialize robotaxi services on a grand scale, with the complex and lucrative European market set as their initial proving ground.

Announced today at the International Automotive Expo in Hong Kong, the alliance represents more than just another tech deal. It’s a strategic alignment of operational scale and advanced technology, a potential blueprint for how the long-promised future of driverless mobility might finally be delivered. Backed by the manufacturing might of automotive titan Geely Holding Group, CaoCao will serve as the fleet owner and operator, while May Mobility will provide the technological brain—its 'Autonomy-as-a-Service' (AaaS) platform—that powers the vehicles. This partnership isn't just about testing a few cars; it’s a calculated play to build the infrastructure for the next generation of transportation.

The Blueprint for a Driverless Fleet

At the heart of the agreement lies a clear division of labor that leverages each company's core expertise. CaoCao, a strategic arm of Geely, brings to the table its vast experience running one of China's largest ride-hailing platforms. This isn't just about an app; it's about the complex, behind-the-scenes logistics of fleet management, vehicle maintenance, route optimization, and customer service at scale. Under the partnership, CaoCao will own and operate the robotaxi fleet, handling the physical-world challenges of keeping thousands of vehicles charged, clean, and on the road.

On the other side of the equation is May Mobility, an Ann Arbor-based company that has been methodically honing its autonomous driving technology through deployments in the U.S. and Japan. Instead of building its own cars or ride-hailing service, May Mobility focuses on its AaaS offering. This platform integrates deep learning, dynamic world models, and real-time reasoning engines, allowing vehicles to navigate unfamiliar and complex road environments. This adaptability is crucial for the partnership's international ambitions.

"Expanding autonomous ride-hail across new countries takes technology that scales as fast as the operation does, and that is exactly what May Mobility delivers," said Dr. Edwin Olson, CEO and Founder of May Mobility. The partnership aims to help realize CaoCao's ambitious vision of deploying 100,000 robotaxis by 2030, a number that underscores the scale of their intent. The collaboration will begin with joint feasibility studies and pilot programs in key European markets, intended to progress quickly from validation to scalable deployment.

Navigating the European Maze

Choosing Europe as the initial battleground is a bold and telling move. The continent presents a mosaic of opportunities and challenges. On one hand, it offers dense urban environments and a population that is increasingly open to shared and sustainable mobility. On the other, it's a patchwork of differing national regulations, traffic patterns, and infrastructure standards.

Germany has emerged as a leader, having passed a law in 2021 to permit Level 4 autonomous vehicles on public roads in defined areas. France and the UK are also advancing their own legal frameworks, aiming to create clear rules for liability and safety. However, a harmonized, pan-European regulatory system remains a work in progress. Any operator aspiring to a continental presence must be prepared to navigate this complex legal landscape city by city, country by country.

The competitive field is also heating up. Intel’s Mobileye is already running a robotaxi pilot in Munich with Sixt, while established automakers like Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are heavily investing in their own autonomous platforms. The CaoCao-May Mobility alliance will not be entering an empty arena. Their success will depend on their ability to adapt May Mobility’s technology to local conditions and leverage CaoCao’s operational efficiency to offer a reliable and competitive service.

An industry analyst noted that public trust will be a critical factor. "Winning in Europe isn't just about having the best tech or the most cars," they commented. "It's about demonstrating an unwavering commitment to safety and working transparently with regulators and the public. One misstep can set the entire industry back."

The Tech Synergy: RoboX Meets AaaS

The technological foundation of this partnership is the synergy between two distinct but complementary strategies: CaoCao's 'RoboX' and May Mobility's AaaS. Just a week ago, CaoCao unveiled its RoboX strategy, signaling a full-scale transformation from a ride-hailing app into what it calls a "physical AI mobility technology platform."

This isn't merely corporate jargon. It reflects a belief that as AI becomes more capable, the real-world networks that move people and goods will become critical infrastructure. RoboX is the AI-driven operational layer designed to manage this complex physical network—predicting demand, optimizing fleet deployment, and managing maintenance schedules with machine intelligence. In this model, May Mobility’s AaaS provides the core function: safe, reliable autonomous driving. CaoCao’s RoboX is the system that ensures the right car is in the right place at the right time, ready to serve a customer.

This combination of specialized AI systems—one for driving, one for operations—is what makes the partnership particularly noteworthy. It avoids the trap of trying to build everything in-house and instead creates an ecosystem where each partner focuses on what it does best. This modular approach is designed for scalability, allowing the partners to potentially integrate different vehicle types or expand into new cities more efficiently.

The 100,000-Car Gambit

Perhaps the most staggering figure associated with the announcement is CaoCao's goal of deploying 100,000 robotaxis by 2030. This number moves the conversation from small-scale pilots to mass-market service. It’s an ambition that speaks to the immense financial and industrial power of CaoCao's parent, Geely Holding Group.

Achieving this goal will be a monumental undertaking. The autonomous vehicle sector is notoriously capital-intensive, a reality underscored by the 2022 shutdown of Argo AI, a venture once backed by Ford and Volkswagen. Deploying a single robotaxi, equipped with expensive sensors and computing hardware, can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Scaling to 100,000 vehicles represents a multi-billion dollar investment in hardware, technology, and operations.

This is where the backing of Geely becomes a decisive advantage. As a global automotive giant with brands like Volvo, Polestar, and Zeekr, Geely can provide access to vehicle manufacturing at scale, potentially creating purpose-built EVs optimized for robotaxi use. For Geely, this partnership is a key move on its global chessboard, expanding its reach from manufacturing cars to operating the mobility networks of the future.

As CaoCao stated, "International expansion is a key direction for CaoCao's autonomous driving business." This partnership with May Mobility is the vehicle for that expansion, a powerful combination of American AV technology and Chinese operational scale, aimed squarely at redefining the daily journey for millions of people across Europe and, eventually, the world.