Autonomous Fleets and M&A: How Parking Lots and Urban Land Will Become Strategic Real Estate Assets

The autonomous mobility revolution is no longer a science fiction scenario. In the United States and China, robotaxis are advancing at a rapid pace, and Europe is beginning to feel the wave. Waymo (Google) already operates thousands of vehicles across more than a dozen North American metropolitan areas, logging thousands of paid trips per week. In China, Baidu Apollo Go leads global rankings, with a fleet expanded to dozens of cities and millions of accumulated trips; Pony.ai and WeRide follow closely, with fleets numbering in the thousands and ambitious growth targets through the end of 2026. Projections from consultancies point to global fleets numbering in the millions of vehicles by 2035, with the service market potentially reaching hundreds of billions of dollars.

This scale radically changes the logic of urban mobility. Unlike private cars, which spend most of their time parked on the street or in the owner's garage, robotaxis are high-utilization shared assets. They require locations for waiting between customers, routine cleaning, maintenance, charging, and eventual fleet "repositioning." Without dedicated infrastructure, the risk is clear: increased congestion, chaotic occupation of public space, and operational inefficiency.

Investing in parking facilities or land near urban centers with conversion potential is shifting from an opportunistic bet to a structural necessity. Whoever controls the best locations in major European cities—Lisbon, Madrid, Paris, Munich, London—will be positioned to capture a significant share of the value generated by this new form of mobility.

Europe, traditionally more cautious regarding regulation, is opening its doors. Embryonic commercial services already exist (Zagreb with Pony.ai/Uber/Verne), alongside advanced trials in London and Madrid and concrete expansion plans (Waymo targeting Munich, Pony.ai and Uber announcing over 2,000 vehicles across five European cities, and WeRide partnering with Uber in Spain). The trend that emerged in the US and China is rapidly reaching the continent...

The risk of oversupply and the aerial alternative: eVTOLs and vertiports

The shared-fleet model raises a serious possibility: the supply of autonomous vehicles could grow faster than actual travel demand during specific times and along certain corridors. The potential result is "surface chaos"—more vehicles circulating or idling while waiting, pressure on roadways and public spaces, and challenges for operators in maintaining profitability.

In this scenario, urban air mobility (eVTOL—electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) emerges as a natural response. It offers short, point-to-point flights that bypass ground traffic, drastically reducing travel times.

For eVTOLs to operate effectively, a network of vertiports is essential—facilities serving as takeoff and landing pads with capabilities for charging, maintenance, and passenger throughput.

One of the most promising solutions, and one with minimal urban impact, involves adapting rooftops, multi-story parking garages, and existing structures. This approach transforms conventional real estate assets into next-generation mobility infrastructure.

Entities that own or control these spaces—or the land and buildings with conversion potential—will be positioning themselves to capitalize on one of the few structural solutions to the potential congestion caused by the widespread adoption of robotaxis.

In short, the mass arrival of shared autonomous vehicles simultaneously creates two high-potential real estate opportunities. On one hand, there is a need for parking facilities and urban land to house, clean, and stage the ground fleet. On the other, there is a demand for vertiports and rooftop adaptations to support the aerial layer, which can alleviate pressure on ground-level infrastructure.

In both cases, the advantage goes to early movers—those who act while cities are still shaping regulatory frameworks and operators are still seeking infrastructure partners. theomini.com: the first M&A business ecosystem for Portuguese and Angolan investors.

In a landscape where investment opportunities in real assets—such as parking facilities, urban land, and buildings with the potential for conversion into vertiports—are multiplying, the ability to identify, analyze, and execute cross-border acquisitions becomes decisive.

theomini.com positions itself as the first business ecosystem dedicated to mergers and acquisitions that enables Portuguese and Angolan investors to explore acquisition opportunities in both markets. Operating as a buy-side boutique, the platform supports Angolan investors in acquiring companies and assets in Portugal (and vice versa), covering the entire cycle from the non-disclosure agreement to the non-binding offer, negotiation, and closing.