Inbizzy, San Francisco, California – Three industry leaders-Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID), Nuro, Inc., and Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER)-have formally announced the establishment of a next-generation global robotaxi initiative. This premium autonomous mobility program has been specifically developed to operate exclusively within the Uber ride-hailing ecosystem.
This new initiative brings together Lucid Gravity’s advanced, software-defined EV architecture, the scalability and proven capabilities of Nuro’s Level 4 Nuro Driver™ system, and Uber’s global presence and dynamic fleet management. The fully integrated robotaxi service is designed for comfort, safety, and scale, with the first deployment expected next year in a major U.S. city.
Global Ambition: 20,000 Robotaxis in Six Years
Uber aims to deploy 20,000 or more Lucid Gravity vehicles equipped with the Nuro Driver over a six-year period. These vehicles will be owned and operated by Uber or its third-party fleet partners, and available exclusively through the Uber platform.
The first Lucid-Nuro robotaxi prototype is already undergoing autonomous testing on a closed circuit at Nuro’s proving grounds in Las Vegas. As part of the deepening partnership, Uber plans to make multi-hundred-million dollar investments in both Lucid and Nuro.
Strategic Collaboration Among Industry Titans
Uber: Scaling Autonomous Benefits Worldwide
“Autonomous vehicles have enormous potential to transform our cities for the better,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber.”We’re thrilled to partner with Nuro and Lucid on this new robotaxi program, purpose-built just for the Uber platform, to safely bring the magic of autonomous driving to more people across the world.”
Lucid: Platform Built for Autonomy and Ride Comfort
“This investment from Uber further validates Lucid’s fully redundant zonal architecture and highly capable platform as ideal for autonomous vehicles, and our industry-leading range and spacious well-appointed interiors, as ideal for ridesharing,” said Marc Winterhoff, Interim CEO at Lucid.”This is the start of our path to extend our innovation and technology leadership into this multi-trillion-dollar market.”
Nuro: Proven AI-First Autonomy
“We believe this partnership will demonstrate what’s possible when proven AV technology meets real-world scale,” said Jiajun Zhu, Co-Founder and CEO at Nuro.”Nuro has spent nearly a decade building an AI-first autonomy system that’s safe, scalable, and vehicle-agnostic, proven through five years of driverless deployments across multiple U.S. cities and states. By combining our self-driving technology with Lucid’s advanced vehicle architecture and Uber’s global platform, we’re proud to enable a robotaxi service designed to reach millions of people around the world.”
Engineering Excellence Behind the Robotaxi Experience
The robotaxi service will be powered by the Lucid Gravity, a premium electric SUV featuring a 450-mile EPA-estimated range, redundant electrical and controls architecture, and built-in scalability. These characteristics make it an ideal platform for an autonomous ride-hailing service.
The Nuro Driver™ is a Level 4 autonomy system combining automotive-grade hardware with AI-powered self-driving software. The hardware will be integrated directly on Lucid’s assembly line, and the vehicle will receive the Nuro software once it’s commissioned by Uber.
Focus on Safety, Efficiency, and Fast Deployment
To ensure operational safety, Nuro will lead the development and validation of a comprehensive safety case spanning multiple categories, using:
- Advanced simulations
- Closed-course testing
- Supervised on-road testing
With a presence in 70 countries and 34 million trips per day, Uber’s global scale can bring the benefits of autonomous vehicles to people everywhere-lowering costs, increasing access, and optimizing fleet availability.
The Nuro Driver includes an end-to-end AI model with precision safeguards, enabling fast adaptation to different environments, functionalities, and vehicle platforms-resulting in reduced deployment timelines across new markets.
Looking Ahead: A New Era of Mobility
This partnership between Lucid, Nuro, and Uber signals a major leap forward in autonomous mobility. With a shared vision rooted in cutting-edge engineering, safe design, and global scalability, this robotaxi program could redefine how millions of people move every day.
