Uber announced a $300 million partnership with electric vehicle maker Lucid to deploy more than 20,000 robotaxis over the next six years, as demand for driverless cars continues to rise.
Why it matters: This initiative is part of Uber’s strategy to enhance its platform with autonomous driving technology, thereby expanding accessibility and reducing costs.
The details:
- In collaboration with an autonomous vehicle startup, Lucid will supply Uber with these robotaxis by integrating the startup’s self-driving technology.
- The first batch of robotaxis is set to be launched in a major U.S. urban hub next year.
- The startup, supported by investors such as Google and the SoftBank Vision Fund, will provide Level 4 self-driving system software for the vehicles.
- Testing for the first prototype vehicle is underway at the startup’s Las Vegas-based proving grounds.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the startup and Lucid on this new robotaxi program, purpose-built just for the Uber platform, to safely bring the magic of autonomous driving to more people across the world,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement.
Lucid interim CEO Marc Winterhoff described the partnership as a significant opportunity to enter a new market segment. “We’ve been chosen because of our EV technology leadership,” he noted, indicating that the program might eventually include future Lucid vehicles currently under development.
The background: This partnership builds on Uber’s previous collaborations in the autonomous vehicle space, including an alliance with Waymo, which also operates Level 4 autonomous vehicles in Texas.
The bottomline: The startup expressed confidence in the commercial viability and scalability of the robotaxi program, describing it as a “blueprint for a robotaxi program that’s both commercially viable and globally scalable.”
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Uber is to start rolling out self-driving taxis next year after striking a deal to take a $300m (£224m) stake in a US electric vehicle maker. @j_a_warrington https://t.co/Vo2jnjU532 pic.twitter.com/uxjtuEIPGr
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Yesterday Uber announced a $300 million partnership to deploy more than 20,000 robotaxis over the next six years as demand for driverless cars kicks into high gear.https://t.co/G7K8g4rxdK
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Uber partners with Lucid, Nuro for robotaxi program – Phoenix Business Journal https://t.co/4bFWiKY4TE via @phxbizjournal
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