Tensor brings its Robocar to Germany, with taxi operators in control of their fleets, customers and data; partners plan up to 500 Robocars in German cities as a first step

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tensor Auto Inc. ("Tensor"), an American Physical AI company and developer of the Tensor Robocar, and Münchner Taxi Zentrum ("MTZ"), Munich's largest taxi operator, today announced a letter of intent (LOI) to deploy Tensor Robocars as autonomous taxis in Germany, operated by MTZ.

Both companies are committed to an operator-led model: the taxi operator runs the service and keeps its customer relationships and brand, while Tensor sells the Robocar and provides autonomous driving as a recurring subscription service, Autonomous Driving as a Service (ADaaS). Because the Robocar is engineered from the ground up to the higher standards required for personal ownership, it is well suited to the demands of taxi fleets, while control of the fleet, the customer and the data stays with the taxi company and therefore in Europe.

The potential market is large: there are currently about 50,000 taxis in Germany and about 500,000 across Europe. That includes operators in Taxis 4 Smart Mobility (T4SM), a coalition of taxi organisations from six European countries chaired by MTZ CEO Gregor Beiner, which could adopt the same operator-led model. The partner structure will start in Germany and expand across Europe as targets are met.

"Autonomous driving will redefine urban mobility. At Tensor, we're building the technology and partner ecosystem to make safe, premium Robocar services a reality at scale. MTZ is an important partner as we bring this vision to Germany and expand across Europe," said Jay Xiao, Founder and CEO of Tensor.

"The taxi industry has a leading role to bring sustainable autonomous driving to Europe. Together with Tensor, MTZ will bring autonomous vehicles to Munich's streets under its own name, with the service quality and data sovereignty our customers trust. At the same time, our professional drivers remain indispensable: wherever personal service, assistance or a human touch is needed, they make the difference," said Gregor Beiner, CEO of Münchner Taxi Zentrum.

Partnership Roles and Business Model

• Operators run the fleet. MTZ is leading the way. Tensor chose MTZ for what it takes to put autonomous taxis on German roads: well-established regulatory relationships, approval for commercial operations and more than 40 years of operating experience in Munich. MTZ will operate Robocars under its own brand as part of its taxi service, and other taxi operators across Europe can adopt the same model.
  
  
• Financial institutions finance the fleets. In partnership with mobility operators and taxi companies, financial institutions will finance Robocar fleets, enabling rapid scaling while creating a new asset class in European mobility. Operators such as MTZ manage day-to-day service operations.
  
  
• Operators provide the ride-share platform and the service. The Robocar integrates with MTZ's existing dispatch systems, so riders book and ride with MTZ as they do today. In collaboration with the city, MTZ decides where, when and how its autonomous fleet runs, drawing on more than 40 years of serving Munich.
  
  
• Tensor powers it in the background. Through its ADaaS subscription, Tensor provides the autonomous driving software, fleet-management tools, ongoing service and training. MTZ, not Tensor, operates the vehicles.

The Plan

• Initial fleet: up to 500 Tensor Robocars in German cities, subject to definitive agreements and Level 4 regulatory approval in Germany.
  
  
• Europe: the partners will work together to bring Tensor Robocars to other taxi companies and fleet operators across Europe. They aim to place 10,000 additional Robocars with European operators within 24 months of the Robocar becoming available in Europe. Through MTZ CEO Gregor Beiner's roles in the taxi industry, the partnership has access to a large network.
  
  
• Private sales: as part of the LOI, the partners will also explore offering Tensor Robocars to private buyers in Germany.

Why the Robocar

The model is only possible because of the Tensor Robocar itself. Unlike robotaxis converted from existing cars, the Robocar is purpose-built for autonomy and engineered to the higher standards required for personal ownership. That dual-purpose design brings real advantages to operators and riders:

• More time in service. The Robocar is designed to perform automatic maintenance checks, clean its own sensors, and automatically park and shield its sensors, so vehicles spend more time carrying riders and less time in the depot.
  
  
• A ride you can talk to. Many riders value being able to talk to their taxi driver. The Robocar is driven by agentic AI: rather than simply following pre-programmed rules, it reasons about the road and the people around it, understands what a rider asks and acts on it. Riders will be able to speak to the Robocar naturally to change the route, add a stop along the way or ask a question, just as they would with a driver.

About Tensor

Tensor Auto Inc. is an American Physical AI company developing agentic AI and full-stack autonomous driving technology. Its flagship product, the Tensor Robocar, is an SAE Level 4 vehicle designed for both personal ownership and robotaxi fleets. Tensor offers its Robocar directly and licenses its autonomous driving technology to fleet operators and automakers through its Autonomous Driving as a Service (ADaaS) model. Founded in Silicon Valley in 2016, Tensor has offices in San Jose, Barcelona, Singapore and Dubai. For more information, visit www.tensor.ai.

About Münchner Taxi Zentrum (MTZ)

Münchner Taxi Zentrum (MTZ) is an owner-managed passenger mobility company that has served Munich for more than 40 years. With more than 150 employees, MTZ is the largest taxi company in the region and works with cities to shape urban mobility. MTZ launched one of Germany's first all-electric premium taxi fleets in 2018, supported by its own fast-charging infrastructure. CEO Gregor Beiner also chairs Taxis 4 Smart Mobility (T4SM), a coalition of taxi organisations from six European countries, and is president of the German Federal Association of Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles.

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