A Verne Robotaxi navigates the streets of Zagreb, Croatia, in May. MARKO PERKOV/AFP

　　Chinese autonomous driving companies are expanding their presence in Europe through partnerships with local mobility platforms, fleet operators and automakers, amid efforts by European governments to enable testing and future commercial deployment.

　　WeRide said on Aug 3 that it had formed a strategic partnership with Danish shared electric mobility provider GreenMobility. The partners aim to launch a public robotaxi service in Denmark in the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals.

　　Denmark is WeRide's first Nordic market and its sixth in Europe. The service will use WeRide's GXR, an EU-compliant Level 4 autonomous vehicle. It is capable of operating without a human driver in designated areas and under specified conditions, according to the company.

　　The partnership will draw on GreenMobility's experience in local fleet operations and shared mobility. Testing and deployment will be carried out in cooperation with Danish road and transport authorities and in accordance with Danish and EU regulations, the companies said.

　　Tony Han, founder and CEO of WeRide, said the partnership could serve as a scalable model for deploying autonomous mobility services in new international markets.

　　The Danish project comes as European countries seek greater coordination on autonomous vehicle testing and deployment. In June, 18 EU member states signed a joint declaration of intent to establish large-scale cross-border test beds for autonomous vehicles.