Uber to buy 20,000 self-driving taxis
The ride-sharing giant has agreed to buy 20,000 vehicles from Lucid Group to operate as a fleet of robotaxis. The Lucid Gravity SUVs, which use technology from robotics company Nuro, will be deployed over a six-year period, starting in a major US city next year.
As part of the deal, Uber will take a $300m stake in Lucid, becoming the California-based company's second-largest investor behind Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. Uber will also make an investment in robotics company Nuro worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber, said: 'Autonomous vehicles have enormous potential to transform our cities for the better.
'We're thrilled to partner with Nuro and Lucid on this new robotaxi programme, purpose-built just for the Uber platform, to safely bring the magic of autonomous driving to more people across the world.'
It is the latest in a string of partnerships that Uber has struck with tech companies and car manufacturers, including Waymo and Volkswagen, as it looks to stake a claim in the nascent market.
The company, which already operates self-driving taxis in some US cities, this week struck a deal with China's Baidu to deploy robotaxis in Asia and the Middle East.
It signals Uber's preference for partnering with and investing in third-party autonomous vehicle firms rather than attempting to develop the technology in-house – the strategy favoured by previous boss Travis Kalanick.
Rivals and safety concerns
However, the ride-hailing firm is facing intense competition from deep-pocketed rivals, including Google owner Alphabet and Amazon.
Tesla last month also began rolling out its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, with Elon Musk vowing to expand into other cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Self-driving cars have also come under close scrutiny over safety concerns and have been the target of political protests.
Several Waymo robotaxis were set ablaze during protests against Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in LA last month.
US regulators are also investigating Tesla's full self-driving software following a string of accidents, including one that killed a pedestrian.
Uber has said it is ready to roll out autonomous taxis in the UK but is waiting for legal clearance. While the previous government said self-driving cars would be on Britain's roads by next year, Labour has now said it is more likely to happen in the second half of 2027.
Uber's investment will come as a boost to Lucid, whose co-founder Peter Rawlinson stepped down last year amid heavy losses.
He was replaced by Marc Winterhoff, who has pledged to double production this year after the company rolled out its $95,000 (£70,000) Gravity SUV model.
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