Latest news with #EdwinOlson
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Uber Adds May Mobility to Its Roster of Self-Driving Vehicle Partnerships
Uber is teaming up with May Mobility, a developer of self-driving technology, to make thousands of autonomous vehicles available via the Uber app over the next few years. The partnership will kick off with a launch in Arlington, Texas, by the end of 2025, the companies said Thursday. "The partnership highlights both companies' shared ambition to quickly scale AV (autonomous vehicle) use in ride-hail, broadening access to AVs across diverse markets and driving greater consumer choice," the companies said in a release. May Mobility previously announced a partnership with Lyft, which is slated to launch in Atlanta later this year. Uber, too, has teamed up with more than a dozen autonomous vehicle companies, including Waymo, which is also soon launching in Atlanta. As part of Uber's partnership with May Mobility, Uber will give customers the option to choose one of May Mobility's autonomous, hybrid-electric Toyota Sienna vehicles on qualifying trips. Initially, a safety operator will be on board, before the effort shifts to fully driverless rides. The companies said they plan to expand to more US cities in 2026. "We are thrilled to be partnering with May Mobility to continue to scale the availability of autonomous vehicles across the United States," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement. "At Uber, we're building the future of transportation, working with the world's leading autonomous vehicle developers like May Mobility to help commercialize and deploy this technology quickly at scale around the world." For years, Uber worked on building its own self-driving technology, but it sold that operation to Aurora in 2020. It now appears to be focused on building partnerships with existing AV companies. May Mobility's self-driving system relies on something called Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology. The company says this platform "applies real-time, human-like reasoning to handle unexpected situations with AI-powered speed and precision," allowing it to navigate real-world scenarios that spring up in the moment. The AV service is already available to riders in a handful of cities via the May Mobility app or local transit apps, including in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Peachtree Corners, Georgia; and Miami. Partnering with ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft can help the company expand into more markets and make it easier for people to summon one of May Mobility's vehicles via an app that's likely already on their phones. "Launching on the Uber platform is a big signal to the market that May Mobility is ready to quickly expand to major markets as the pre-eminent autonomy-as-a-service provider," Edwin Olson, CEO and co-founder of May Mobility, said in a statement. "Uber and May Mobility will make it possible for more people across the US to enjoy the transformative benefits of autonomous vehicles."
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Another Robotaxi Service Will Launch in Texas. But It's Not One You've Heard Of
Uber teams up with May Mobility to launch a fleet of robotaxis in Arlington, Texas, by the end of 2025. The effort is the latest partnership between a leading app and an autonomous tech developer, with the ride-hailing industry now taking steps to add driverless vehicles to its fleets. Texas is increasingly becoming the most important state in autonomous vehicle development and launches, including driverless trucks. Waymo isn't the only robotaxi developer in the US at the moment, even though it easily has most of the momentum as an operator of its own fleets. After years of backing various SAE Level 4 development efforts, Uber is now progressing to the roll-out stage with a number of partners. The ride-hailing giant is teaming up with May Mobility in a multi-year strategic partnership, with the latter set to launch thousands of robotaxis on Uber's app platform. And the first location that will see May Mobility's autonomous vehicles under the Uber umbrella will be Arlington, Texas. The robotaxis are scheduled to launch there by the end of this year. "The partnership highlights both companies' shared ambition to quickly scale AV use in ride-hail, broadening access to AVs across diverse markets and driving greater consumer choice," May Mobility noted. In practice, this means that later in 2025 Uber will offer its users in Arlington the option of using May's hybrid-electric Toyota Sienna models on certain trips, at first with safety drivers on board, before moving on to driverless operations. So human Uber drivers will still remain on the roads of the city. Last year Ann Arbor-based May Mobility has also teamed up with Lyft to bring the same Sienna robotaxis to Atlanta by 2025 in a partnership model that is becoming very common in the autonomous vehicle industry, with an existing ride-hailing app providing the user base and the fleet services that robotaxis require. Hearst Owned This year is shaping up to be a big one for May Mobility, just at a time when robotaxis are starting to see launches in major markets outside the west coast and the southwest. May's planned launch in Arlington later this year means that Texas alone could see three different robotaxi services, with Tesla planning its own Austin launch for June after Waymo kicked off operations in its hometown earlier this year. "Launching on the Uber platform is a big signal to the market that May Mobility is ready to quickly expand to major markets as the pre-eminent autonomy-as-a-service provider," said Edwin Olson, CEO and co-founder of May Mobility. Of course, one of the reasons this is happening in Arlington, of all places, is not because there is a shortage of human-driven Ubers or privately owned vehicles. The Lone Star state has a very liberal regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles of all types, and Texas has also been the focal point of most of the country's autonomous truck testing and deployment efforts. In fact, driverless trucks are already in operation in Texas, and more are on the way soon. It remains to be seen whether any robotaxi service will be able to catch up to Waymo, but it's becoming increasingly obvious that ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft are bound to play a major role in Level 4 services' expansion in the US and overseas via partnerships with autonomous tech developers. Will robotaxis outnumber human gig-economy drivers by 2035 in the US, or will they remain a minority in the ride-hailing app fleets? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Another Robotaxi Service Will Launch in Texas. But It's Not One You've Heard Of
Uber teams up with May Mobility to launch a fleet of robotaxis in Arlington, Texas, by the end of 2025. The effort is the latest partnership between a leading app and an autonomous tech developer, with the ride-hailing industry now taking steps to add driverless vehicles to its fleets. Texas is increasingly becoming the most important state in autonomous vehicle development and launches, including driverless trucks. Waymo isn't the only robotaxi developer in the US at the moment, even though it easily has most of the momentum as an operator of its own fleets. After years of backing various SAE Level 4 development efforts, Uber is now progressing to the roll-out stage with a number of partners. The ride-hailing giant is teaming up with May Mobility in a multi-year strategic partnership, with the latter set to launch thousands of robotaxis on Uber's app platform. And the first location that will see May Mobility's autonomous vehicles under the Uber umbrella will be Arlington, Texas. The robotaxis are scheduled to launch there by the end of this year. "The partnership highlights both companies' shared ambition to quickly scale AV use in ride-hail, broadening access to AVs across diverse markets and driving greater consumer choice," May Mobility noted. In practice, this means that later in 2025 Uber will offer its users in Arlington the option of using May's hybrid-electric Toyota Sienna models on certain trips, at first with safety drivers on board, before moving on to driverless operations. So human Uber drivers will still remain on the roads of the city. Last year Ann Arbor-based May Mobility has also teamed up with Lyft to bring the same Sienna robotaxis to Atlanta by 2025 in a partnership model that is becoming very common in the autonomous vehicle industry, with an existing ride-hailing app providing the user base and the fleet services that robotaxis require. This year is shaping up to be a big one for May Mobility, just at a time when robotaxis are starting to see launches in major markets outside the west coast and the southwest. May's planned launch in Arlington later this year means that Texas alone could see three different robotaxi services, with Tesla planning its own Austin launch for June after Waymo kicked off operations in its hometown earlier this year. "Launching on the Uber platform is a big signal to the market that May Mobility is ready to quickly expand to major markets as the pre-eminent autonomy-as-a-service provider," said Edwin Olson, CEO and co-founder of May Mobility. Of course, one of the reasons this is happening in Arlington, of all places, is not because there is a shortage of human-driven Ubers or privately owned vehicles. The Lone Star state has a very liberal regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles of all types, and Texas has also been the focal point of most of the country's autonomous truck testing and deployment efforts. In fact, driverless trucks are already in operation in Texas, and more are on the way soon. It remains to be seen whether any robotaxi service will be able to catch up to Waymo, but it's becoming increasingly obvious that ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft are bound to play a major role in Level 4 services' expansion in the US and overseas via partnerships with autonomous tech developers. Will robotaxis outnumber human gig-economy drivers by 2035 in the US, or will they remain a minority in the ride-hailing app fleets? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Uber and May Mobility Announce Strategic Partnership to Scale Autonomous Vehicles
Arlington, Texas identified as first city to launch May Mobility AVs on the Uber platform later this year The companies aim to quickly scale AV use for ride-hail The news signals May Mobility's growing leadership as an Autonomy-as-a-Service (AaaS) platform of choice SAN FRANCISCO & ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 01, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) and May Mobility, Inc., a leading autonomous vehicle (AV) technology company, today announced a new multi-year strategic partnership. May Mobility aims to deploy thousands of AVs on the Uber platform over the next few years, with an initial launch planned for Arlington, Texas, by the end of 2025. The partnership highlights both companies' shared ambition to quickly scale AV use in ride-hail, broadening access to AVs across diverse markets and driving greater consumer choice. The new partnership brings together Uber, the global ride-hail market leader, and May Mobility to scale the availability of AV transportation in an estimated $1 trillion AV market in the United States. Under the agreement, Uber will offer customers the option of a May Mobility AV on the Uber platform on qualifying trips. May Mobility will provide a fleet of American-made, hybrid-electric Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS vehicles equipped with May Mobility's patented Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology. The first deployment will launch with onboard safety operators before transitioning to driverless. Following the initial launch in Arlington, Uber and May Mobility intend to expand to additional U.S. markets in 2026. "We are thrilled to be partnering with May Mobility to continue to scale the availability of autonomous vehicles across the United States," said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. "At Uber, we're building the future of transportation, working with the world's leading autonomous vehicle developers like May Mobility to help commercialize and deploy this technology quickly at scale around the world." May Mobility's MPDM platform applies real-time, human-like reasoning to handle unexpected situations with AI-powered speed and precision, making it able to navigate real-world situations without having to rely on predefined scenarios. MPDM easily adapts to any new scenario or environment, even "edge cases," an approach that has proven itself in deployments across the U.S. and Japan, including driverless operations in three cities. As a highly efficient approach to autonomous driving, MPDM's in-situ reasoning can provide a more reliable and safe ride experience. "Launching on the Uber platform is a big signal to the market that May Mobility is ready to quickly expand to major markets as the pre-eminent autonomy-as-a-service provider," said Edwin Olson, CEO and co-founder of May Mobility. "Uber and May Mobility will make it possible for more people across the U.S. to enjoy the transformative benefits of autonomous vehicles." May Mobility has operated in Arlington, Texas, since 2021, and the company's experience in Arlington will allow the new Uber partnership to rapidly deploy and expand beyond the existing service area. More details on the launch will be announced in the coming months. About Uber Uber's mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 58 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities. About May Mobility May Mobility is an autonomous vehicle (AV) technology company redefining the future of autonomy-as-a-service (AaaS). Leveraging its patented Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) system, May Mobility built an industry-leading in-situ AI solution, which integrates real-time data every 200 milliseconds to ensure safety and efficiency, even in unpredictable situations. May Mobility's technology pairs live, online learning with traditional offline training, enabling rapid deployment in a fraction of the time. Operating on-demand vehicles across the U.S. and Japan, May Mobility delivers safer, more efficient transportation across diverse environments, including rural cities, dense urban areas and diverse weather conditions. Backed by strategic partnerships with industry leaders, including Toyota Motor Corporation and NTT, May Mobility is disrupting the autonomous vehicle industry with one of the most practical vehicle offerings available. The company has completed nearly half a million rides across 19 deployments worldwide. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Uberpress@ May MobilityKarsten Kutterer, Senior Communications Manager734-369-8874 ext. 1343media@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Wire
Uber and May Mobility Announce Strategic Partnership to Scale Autonomous Vehicles
SAN FRANCISCO & ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) and May Mobility, Inc., a leading autonomous vehicle (AV) technology company, today announced a new multi-year strategic partnership. May Mobility aims to deploy thousands of AVs on the Uber platform over the next few years, with an initial launch planned for Arlington, Texas, by the end of 2025. The partnership highlights both companies' shared ambition to quickly scale AV use in ride-hail, broadening access to AVs across diverse markets and driving greater consumer choice. The new partnership brings together Uber, the global ride-hail market leader, and May Mobility to scale the availability of AV transportation in an estimated $1 trillion AV market in the United States. Under the agreement, Uber will offer customers the option of a May Mobility AV on the Uber platform on qualifying trips. May Mobility will provide a fleet of American-made, hybrid-electric Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS vehicles equipped with May Mobility's patented Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology. The first deployment will launch with onboard safety operators before transitioning to driverless. Following the initial launch in Arlington, Uber and May Mobility intend to expand to additional U.S. markets in 2026. 'We are thrilled to be partnering with May Mobility to continue to scale the availability of autonomous vehicles across the United States,' said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. 'At Uber, we're building the future of transportation, working with the world's leading autonomous vehicle developers like May Mobility to help commercialize and deploy this technology quickly at scale around the world.' May Mobility's MPDM platform applies real-time, human-like reasoning to handle unexpected situations with AI-powered speed and precision, making it able to navigate real-world situations without having to rely on predefined scenarios. MPDM easily adapts to any new scenario or environment, even 'edge cases,' an approach that has proven itself in deployments across the U.S. and Japan, including driverless operations in three cities. As a highly efficient approach to autonomous driving, MPDM's in-situ reasoning can provide a more reliable and safe ride experience. 'Launching on the Uber platform is a big signal to the market that May Mobility is ready to quickly expand to major markets as the pre-eminent autonomy-as-a-service provider,' said Edwin Olson, CEO and co-founder of May Mobility. 'Uber and May Mobility will make it possible for more people across the U.S. to enjoy the transformative benefits of autonomous vehicles.' May Mobility has operated in Arlington, Texas, since 2021, and the company's experience in Arlington will allow the new Uber partnership to rapidly deploy and expand beyond the existing service area. More details on the launch will be announced in the coming months. About Uber Uber's mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 58 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities. About May Mobility May Mobility is an autonomous vehicle (AV) technology company redefining the future of autonomy-as-a-service (AaaS). Leveraging its patented Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) system, May Mobility built an industry-leading in-situ AI solution, which integrates real-time data every 200 milliseconds to ensure safety and efficiency, even in unpredictable situations. May Mobility's technology pairs live, online learning with traditional offline training, enabling rapid deployment in a fraction of the time. Operating on-demand vehicles across the U.S. and Japan, May Mobility delivers safer, more efficient transportation across diverse environments, including rural cities, dense urban areas and diverse weather conditions. Backed by strategic partnerships with industry leaders, including Toyota Motor Corporation and NTT, May Mobility is disrupting the autonomous vehicle industry with one of the most practical vehicle offerings available. The company has completed nearly half a million rides across 19 deployments worldwide. For more information, visit
