WeRide (WRD) Stock Surges After Uber Confirms It Owns Nearly 6% of the Robotaxi Firm

TLDR

• Uber (UBER) disclosed it holds 56.6 million WeRide (WRD) shares, representing a 5.82% passive stake in the autonomous vehicle company.
• WRD stock jumped 6.1% in premarket trading Monday following the disclosure.
• The Uber-WeRide partnership, first announced in September 2024, initially focused on robotaxi deployment in the UAE — not equity.
• Uber made a $100M investment in WeRide in May 2025, targeting expansion to 15 more cities over five years.
• Wall Street analysts hold a consensus Strong Buy on WRD; Seeking Alpha analysts rate it a Hold.

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WeRide (WRD) stock is trading around $6.76, down roughly 60% from its 52-week high of $16.86, prior to Monday’s premarket move.

WeRide Inc., WRD

Uber Technologies (UBER) has officially confirmed it holds a 5.82% passive stake in WeRide (WRD), sending the autonomous vehicle stock sharply higher in premarket trading on Monday. The disclosure named 56,618,266 shares held by Uber — a number that puts some real weight behind what started as a commercial partnership just 18 months ago.

The relationship between the two companies dates back to September 2024, when Uber and WeRide announced plans to bring WeRide’s autonomous vehicles onto the Uber platform, starting in the United Arab Emirates. That deal was framed purely as a commercial agreement around robotaxi deployment — not a capital transaction.

Things moved quickly from there.

In May 2025, Uber announced a $100 million investment in WeRide, paired with plans to expand the partnership to 15 additional cities over the next five years. WeRide’s SEC filing at the time noted the deal was expected to close in the second half of 2025, pending standard conditions.

Monday’s disclosure confirms that investment is now on the books.

Fleet Expansion and Operational Metrics

WeRide currently operates a robotaxi fleet of 1,125 units, including 250 deployed internationally. The company expects that to grow to 2,600 units by year-end, with around 30% of those operating outside China.

On the expansion front, WeRide plans to enter a new tier-1 city in China this year and launch commercial operations in Singapore, Zurich, Madrid, and one additional European city.

In China, WeRide’s robotaxis currently average 15 daily orders, rising to 26 during peak periods. Trips average 5 kilometers, priced at 2 yuan per kilometer — a 50% discount to current ride-hailing rates. The company is targeting 25 trips per car daily at 3 yuan per kilometer in the medium term, with pricing expected to converge toward traditional ride-hailing as scale improves.

Operations in the Middle East are continuing, though WeRide has flagged potential shipment delays linked to geopolitical uncertainty in the region.

Cost Structure and Analyst View

WeRide reduced its total cost of ownership by 38% in 2025, improving its remote assistance ratio from 1:10 to 1:40. The company expects further cost reductions in 2026 as vehicle prices and autonomous driving kit costs continue to fall with scale.

Revenue grew 40% over the last 12 months. The company remains unprofitable but holds more cash than debt on its balance sheet, supporting its expansion plans. Its market cap currently sits at around $2.17 billion.

Morgan Stanley reiterated an Overweight rating on WRD on March 23 with a $14.70 price target — more than double the current trading price. The firm’s analyst Tim Hsiao updated his view following a review of WeRide’s expansion plans and operational data.

Wall Street analysts broadly hold a consensus Strong Buy on the stock. Seeking Alpha analysts are more cautious, with a Hold rating.

In a separate development, NVIDIA’s latest 13F filing showed the chipmaker eliminated its stake in WeRide, alongside positions in Arm Holdings and Applied Digital.

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