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Uber is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into EV maker Lucid and autonomous vehicle technology startup Nuro in a bid to launch its own premium robotaxi service.<\/p>\n
Under the deal announced Thursday, Uber will invest $300 million in Lucid and separately buy \u201cat least\u201d 20,000 of the EV maker\u2019s new Gravity SUV over the next six years. Those EVs will be equipped with Nuro\u2019s autonomous vehicle system, and the vehicles will be owned and operated by Uber or its third-party fleet partners. Uber plans to launch a robotaxi service in a major U.S. city next year.<\/p>\n
Production of these modified Lucid Gravity vehicles is expected to begin in late 2026, according to a regulatory filing<\/a>. <\/p>\n Uber is also investing an undisclosed \u201cmulti-hundred-million dollar\u201d amount into Nuro. One source familiar with the agreement said the amount is more than Uber\u2019s investment in Lucid.\u00a0<\/p>\n The agreement between the three companies was a year in the making, Nuro co-founder and president Dave Ferguson told TechCrunch. <\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019s probably a reflection of how meaty it is,\u201d he said, adding that Uber was looking to make a very large commitment to a robotaxi program, and spent time with almost every AV company to find the most suitable partner. <\/p>\n \u201cWe were thrilled that, at the end of all that, we were the partner that was chosen.\u201d<\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco<\/span> Ferguson said engineers at Lucid and Nuro have already made progress on the project. The companies have been testing a prototype driverless vehicle on a closed track at Nuro\u2019s proving grounds in Las Vegas. <\/p>\n Uber has spent the past two years locking in partnerships with autonomous vehicle technology companies, covering the spectrum of how self-driving systems can be applied to the physical world. The ride-hailing giant has partnered with more than 18 companies globally, across\u00a0ride-hailing<\/a>, delivery, and trucking. Just this year alone, it announced deals with Ann Arbor, Michigan-based May Mobility\u00a0<\/a>Volkswagen<\/a>, as well as Chinese self-driving firms Momenta, WeRide<\/a>, and Baidu.<\/p>\n Uber\u2019s most high-profile partnership in the U.S. \u2014 and one that is commercially operating today \u2014 is with Waymo. The companies offer a \u201cWaymo on Uber\u201d service in Austin<\/a>\u00a0and Atlanta<\/a>.<\/p>\n This deal illustrates just how much money Uber is willing to invest in hopes of tapping into, and even dominating, the burgeoning autonomous vehicle market. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 27-29, 2025<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n