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Uber is diving deeper into the autonomous vehicle (AV) space with a major investment initiative aimed at building a premium robotaxi service.
The ride-hailing giant is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid and AV technology startup Nuro, signaling its intent to dominate the evolving robotaxi market.
What the Deal Includes
Under the newly announced agreement:
- Uber will invest $300 million in Lucid and will purchase at least 20,000 Lucid Gravity SUVs over the next six years.
- These vehicles will be equipped with Nuro’s autonomous vehicle system and owned either by Uber or its third-party fleet partners.
- Also, a robotaxi service using these modified vehicles is expected to launch in a major U.S. city by 2026.
Alongside this, Uber is also making a multi-hundred-million-dollar investment in Nuro. This amount is reportedly larger than its stake in Lucid, though the exact figure remains undisclosed.
Nuro’s co-founder and president, Dave Ferguson, revealed that this three-way partnership had been a year in development. Uber thoroughly evaluated nearly every major AV company before selecting Nuro.
“We were thrilled that, at the end of all that, we were the partner that was chosen,” Ferguson stated.
Prototype Testing Already Underway
Lucid and Nuro engineers are already collaborating on the project. A prototype robotaxi, built on the Lucid Gravity platform and fitted with Nuro’s AV tech, has been tested on closed tracks at Nuro’s Las Vegas proving grounds.
Lucid’s Gravity SUVs are particularly well-suited for autonomy, thanks to their built-in hardware redundancies, originally designed for Level 3 automated driving. These modifications have made integrating Nuro’s self-driving system, which aims to achieve Level 4 autonomy, smoother and more efficient.
This agreement represents a major win for Nuro, which has faced financial challenges in recent years. After raising over $2 billion since its founding in 2016, the company had to pivot away from its low-speed delivery robot model amid a tough capital environment. Multiple rounds of layoffs followed in 2022 and 2023.
By shifting its focus to licensing autonomous driving systems to automakers and mobility services, Nuro managed to extend its financial runway from 1.5 years to 3.5 years. The Uber deal serves as a critical validation of that pivot, with more licensing agreements reportedly on the way.
Uber’s Growing AV Ambitions
Over the past two years, Uber has steadily expanded its AV partnerships, now totaling over 18 companies globally, spanning ride-hailing, delivery, and freight. Recent partnerships include deals with May Mobility, Volkswagen, and Chinese firms like Momenta, WeRide, and Baidu.
In the U.S., Uber has already deployed an operating service with Waymo, offering “Waymo on Uber” rides in Austin and Atlanta.
Uber’s heavy financial backing of Lucid and Nuro highlights just how aggressively it’s investing in the future of autonomous mobility. For Uber, this isn’t just a bet. It’s a strategy to reshape premium ride-hailing experiences through cutting-edge technology. Additionally, for Nuro, it’s a moment of redemption and resurgence in a competitive AV landscape.
