Uber's $300 Million Bet on Lucid-Nuro Robotaxis

Uber is investing $300 million in Lucid to acquire autonomous Lucid Gravity SUVs equipped with Nuro's technology for robotaxi services starting in 2026. This move signifies Uber's renewed focus on the autonomous driving sector after exiting in 2020 and highlights partnerships with leading technology developers.

Uber has announced a substantial $300 million investment in electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid, aiming to deploy autonomous Lucid Gravity SUVs in a robotaxi service partnership with tech startup Nuro, starting in a major U.S. city late next year.

This investment is part of a six-year plan where Uber will acquire more than 20,000 vehicles outfitted with Nuro's autonomous vehicle technology. The agreement comes amid a renewed drive towards self-driving cabs, highlighting the strategic pivots in the landscape after limited successes from earlier initiatives.

While Uber increasingly partners with tech developers like Waymo and Aurora, its collaboration with Lucid is marked by the intense competition in the field, with companies like Tesla, Alphabet's Waymo, and Amazon's Zoox all advancing their efforts in autonomous driving technology.

(With inputs from agencies.)