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- WeRide stock tumbles 5.77% after Q2 earnings reveal US$56M net loss despite major robotaxi revenue growth.
- Robotaxi revenue surged 836.7% YoY, now representing over a third of WeRide’s total quarterly earnings.
- The company expands robotaxi operations to 10 cities globally, including a new permit in Shanghai.
- WeRide eyes long-term profitability, betting on international markets amid exclusion from the U.S. landscape.
WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ: WRD) shares closed 5.77% lower at $8.65 on Friday following the release of its second-quarter earnings, which revealed a net loss of 406.5 million yuan (US$56.4 million).
Despite the decline, CEO Tony Han confirmed the Chinese autonomous driving company will continue to increase investments in its global robotaxi operations.
The losses, though slightly narrower than last year, highlight ongoing pressure on the company’s bottom line. Shares have now dropped over 30% year-to-date, reflecting mounting investor caution as WeRide pursues a capital-intensive growth strategy in an increasingly competitive space.
Robotaxi Revenue Up 837%, Boosting Optimism
Despite the red ink, WeRide’s robotaxi division emerged as a bright spot. Revenue from the segment surged 836.7% year-over-year to $6.4 million, now accounting for 36.1% of total revenue.
This rapid growth has coincided with WeRide’s expansion to 10 cities across six countries, including China, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
The company also posted a 61% jump in total quarterly revenue to 127.2 million yuan (US$17.6 million), while gross margin improved to 28.1%. Backed by $570.6 million in cash reserves, WeRide is signaling confidence in the underlying economics of its core autonomous driving service, even as company-wide profitability remains elusive.
Industry analysts suggest WeRide’s pattern mirrors other tech platforms where early-stage losses eventually give way to sustainable unit economics as operations scale.
Shanghai Permit Marks 10th Global City
Further strengthening its global footprint, WeRide recently received a permit to launch Level 4 autonomous robotaxi services in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area.
Announced at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, the deployment will be executed in partnership with Chery Group and Jinjiang Taxi.
The collaboration also unveiled a mass-produced Robotaxi model, CER, optimized for long-range, high-frequency autonomous driving. The new service connects popular destinations including the Shanghai World Expo Center and Shanghai Disney Resort, cementing WeRide’s presence in one of China’s most tech-forward regions.
This milestone follows a series of expansions into the Middle East, where WeRide has tripled its fleet in Abu Dhabi and launched fully driverless services in Saudi Arabia since late 2024.
Strategic Focus Shifts Beyond U.S. Borders
WeRide’s global playbook is largely shaped by regulatory exclusion from the U.S. market. Alongside rivals like Pony.AI and Baidu’s Apollo Go, WeRide has pivoted to regions such as the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia to accelerate adoption.
This strategic shift has proven fruitful, as the global robotaxi market is projected to grow from $0.4 billion in 2023 to $45 billion by 2030. By operating across diverse regulatory environments early on, Chinese autonomous vehicle firms are building a crucial advantage in deployment readiness and data acquisition.
While U.S. competitors like Waymo are just beginning testing in Tokyo, WeRide is already establishing services across several international regions, betting that first-mover advantage and improving service economics will translate into long-term market leadership.
