Uber Partners with Lucid, Nuro for $300M Self-Driving Expansion

Uber has announced a partnership with Lucid and Nuro to add over 20,000 autonomous vehicles to its platform over the next six years. The deal involves a $300 million investment in Lucid and hundreds of millions in Nuro, with the partnership expected to launch in a major US city later next year. This move aims to build out Uber's autonomous vehicle use case, with the company also partnering with Baidu to deploy thousands of robotaxis on its network in non-US markets.

Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) has entered into a strategic partnership with Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID) and Nuro, Inc. to deploy over 20,000 autonomous vehicles on its platform over the next six years. The collaboration, announced on July 17, 2025, involves significant investments totaling hundreds of millions of dollars for both Lucid and Nuro. The partnership aims to bring a new generation of autonomous robotaxis to major US cities, with the first launch expected in 2026.

The partnership leverages the advanced technology of Lucid's Gravity vehicles, Nuro's Level 4 autonomy system, and Uber's extensive global network. Lucid's Gravity vehicles, known for their long range and spacious interiors, will be equipped with Nuro's Driver™, a proven Level 4 autonomy system. This combination will enable a fully integrated robotaxi experience designed for comfort, safety, and scale.

Uber plans to deploy 20,000 or more Lucid vehicles equipped with the Nuro Driver™ over six years, with the first launch in a major US city. The vehicles will be owned and operated by Uber or its third-party fleet partners, exclusively available via the Uber platform. This move is part of Uber's broader strategy to expand its autonomous vehicle use case, following its recent partnership with Baidu to deploy thousands of robotaxis in non-US markets.

The partnership underscores the potential of autonomous vehicles to transform urban mobility. Lucid's fully redundant zonal architecture and Nuro's AI-first autonomy system are designed to ensure safety, scalability, and cost-efficiency. With operations in 70 countries and an average of 34 million trips per day, Uber's platform has the scale necessary to make self-driving vehicles accessible and beneficial to people worldwide.

The partnership also highlights the growing investment in autonomous vehicle technology. Uber's planned multi-hundred-million-dollar investments in both Lucid and Nuro validate the potential of these companies in the autonomous driving market. This strategic collaboration is set to accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicles, potentially revolutionizing the ride-hailing industry.

References:

[1] https://investor.uber.com/news-events/news/press-release-details/2025/Lucid-Nuro-and-Uber-Partner-on-Next-Generation-Autonomous-Robotaxi-Program/default.aspx