Uber has announced plans to roll out at least 20,000 robotaxis across the United States over the next six years, marking a major step toward its vision of an autonomous ride-hailing future.
The company said in a statement that the fleet would be made up of SUVs by US electric vehicles manufacturer Lucid and equipped with self-driving technology developed by startup Nuro.
“The vehicles will be owned and operated by Uber or its third-party fleet partners and made available to riders exclusively via the Uber platform,” the ride-hailing giant noted.
The ride-hailing platform has underscored its ambition to lead the robotaxi market by securing partnerships with German automotive giant Volkswagen and Waymo, the self-driving technology firm owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
As part of a deepening relationship with each partner, the ride-hailing giant plans to make multi-hundred-million-dollar investments in both Nuro and Lucid.
According to the reports, in select US cities, riders can already book Waymo self-driving vehicles through the Uber app, showcasing the company’s early integration of autonomous technology.
The US ride-hailing giant also plans to expand its robotaxi offerings further by adding vehicles from Volkswagen’s autonomous fleet in the near future, as part of its broader strategy to build a multi-partner, self-driving ride-hailing network.
Earlier this week, Uber announced a new partnership with Chinese autonomous driving company Momenta, aimed at expanding its robotaxi services beyond its core markets of the United States and China.
The collaboration is focused on developing and deploying self-driving technology in international markets, signaling Uber’s intent to establish a global presence in the autonomous mobility space.
