San Francisco to Become Uber's Autonomous Taxi Testing Grounds
Next year, San Francisco Bay Area residents will have the chance to ride in one of Uber's specially designed autonomous taxis, marking a significant milestone for the company's adoption of self-driving technology.
In an effort to accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicles, Uber has been collaborating with electric car manufacturer Lucid and self-driving tech firm Nuro Inc. The robotaxi is built on the Lucid Gravity SUV but is exclusive to Uber. The companies recently announced that they have received test vehicles from Lucid, with plans to roll out 100 test vehicles in the coming months.
Uber aims to introduce autonomous taxis in multiple locations within the next six years, with a projected deployment of over 20,000 units. The vehicles will be accessible through the Uber app and will be offered by multiple companies working together to advance the technology.
This push into autonomous taxi rides is not new, but for Uber, it's a significant move given its extensive reach in 15,000 cities across more than 70 countries. Competitor Waymo, owned by Alphabet, has been testing self-driving taxis since years ago and currently offers them in several US cities, including Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Austin.
Uber is also expanding its autonomous taxi services to Saudi Arabia as part of a partnership with WeRide, a Chinese autonomous tech company. In addition, the company will soon be working with Nvidia and Stellantis on developing robotaxis, with production expected to begin in 2028 for at least 5,000 vehicles powered by Nvidia software.
With its growing presence in cities worldwide, Uber's adoption of autonomous taxis signals an exciting future for transportation as a whole.
Next year, San Francisco Bay Area residents will have the chance to ride in one of Uber's specially designed autonomous taxis, marking a significant milestone for the company's adoption of self-driving technology.
In an effort to accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicles, Uber has been collaborating with electric car manufacturer Lucid and self-driving tech firm Nuro Inc. The robotaxi is built on the Lucid Gravity SUV but is exclusive to Uber. The companies recently announced that they have received test vehicles from Lucid, with plans to roll out 100 test vehicles in the coming months.
Uber aims to introduce autonomous taxis in multiple locations within the next six years, with a projected deployment of over 20,000 units. The vehicles will be accessible through the Uber app and will be offered by multiple companies working together to advance the technology.
This push into autonomous taxi rides is not new, but for Uber, it's a significant move given its extensive reach in 15,000 cities across more than 70 countries. Competitor Waymo, owned by Alphabet, has been testing self-driving taxis since years ago and currently offers them in several US cities, including Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Austin.
Uber is also expanding its autonomous taxi services to Saudi Arabia as part of a partnership with WeRide, a Chinese autonomous tech company. In addition, the company will soon be working with Nvidia and Stellantis on developing robotaxis, with production expected to begin in 2028 for at least 5,000 vehicles powered by Nvidia software.
With its growing presence in cities worldwide, Uber's adoption of autonomous taxis signals an exciting future for transportation as a whole.
! I mean, can u imagine not havin' to worry about drivin' or even gettin' behind the wheel? It's like somethin' outta sci-fi 
! But at the same time, I'm a little concerned about the safety aspect... what if somethin' goes wrong? Like, what's the protocol for an emergency situation? 
!
just imagine cruisin around sf with a self drivin taxi 
like it's 2028 already! anyway, i think this is a total game changer for urban transportation. we need more sustainable options ASAP 
and autonomous taxis are the way to go. less traffic congestion = happier drivers 
, plus it'll be so convenient to just hop in & out without worrying about parking 
!
. I'm also super stoked that they're partnering with companies like Lucid and Nuro Inc. to advance the tech. It's going to be so interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few years. Maybe we'll have self-driving taxis on every corner in no time 
.