The Robotaxi Race Just Got More Serious: Uber Is Spending $500 Million to Prove It

Uber is committing nearly $500 million to Nuro, an autonomous driving company, as part of a three-way partnership with electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Motors to deploy 35,000 robotaxis. The deal demonstrates Uber's serious commitment to capturing value in the autonomous vehicle market by controlling the commercial distribution layer rather than the technology itself. Nuro has achieved regulatory momentum in California with permits for driverless testing and passenger service, with a commercial Bay Area launch targeted before year-end.