Things are picking up in Germany’s robotaxi scene. Waymo is already conducting extensive testing and aims to launch commercial, driverless robotaxi service by the end of 2027, but taxi companies themselves aren’t sitting idly by either. In December 2025, a small delegation of Austrian and German taxi operators visited the San Francisco Bay Area to take test rides in autonomous cars and hold discussions with the manufacturers. The focus was less on whether robotaxis work or whether they will ever exist, and much more on what is needed to bring robotaxis to Europe and who can supply the vehicles.
The first result is now in: Grgor Beiner, CEO of mtz – Münchner Taxi Zentrum, president of the Federal Association of Taxis and Rental Cars (Bundesverband Taxi und Mietwagen e.V.), and chairman of the European association Taxis 4 Smart Mobility, signed an order for 500 Tensor robotaxis yesterday at the Madrid Autonomous Mobility Summit 2026.
Tensor, headquartered in San José, California, offers the first Robocar that, unlike current robotaxis, can also be purchased and owned by private individuals. The vehicle comes with a retractable steering wheel, which ensures that it can also be used in regions outside the Operational Design Domain (ODD).
Here are some photos from the unveiling of the Tensor robotaxi, featuring the colors of a Munich taxi.
Here are more pictures from the Tensor vehicle:
This article was also published in German.
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