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New Uber Strategy Sparks Momentum in Autonomous Taxi Market
07 Aug 2025
According to the latest automotive news, Uber has entered into a strategic partnership with electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Group and autonomous driving system developer Nuro. This strategic move aims to put a large fleet of driverless taxis on the roads of the United States.
Uber dropped its plans to build robotaxis in 2020 due to high development costs. Instead, the company focused on its core competencies, namely, platform and network management.
Now, the aggregator actively cooperates with specialized companies in autonomous driving technologies. Although this strategy does not directly impact ES futures performance, investors perceive it positively.
Uber is expected to begin with Lucid Gravity electric crossovers, equipped with the Nuro autonomous driving system. The integration is planned to launch in one of the major U.S. cities. The exact location remains undisclosed.
The work is scheduled to begin next year. The terms of the contract stipulate that Uber will purchase about 20,000 units of this model between 2026 and 2032 to deploy the service.
Meanwhile, Uber plans to invest $300 million in Lucid Motors. This U.S. startup was originally focused on premium electric cars with advanced software. Following internal restructuring, it decided to switch to more affordable models.
The company also expects to provide additional funding to Nuro. This step will allow the company to accelerate the development and improvement of its autonomous driving platform.
The market for autonomous passenger transportation is fast-growing, and this partnership generates a new potential Tesla competitor. At the same time, the steady rise in US oil prices continues to highlight the strategic value of electric vehicle expansion. As fuel costs increase, investor interest shifts further toward long-term solutions like autonomous EV fleets, which promise lower operational costs and reduced dependence on fossil fuels.
Having abandoned the development of its self-driving systems, Uber consistently adheres to the open platform model. In other words, the company doesn't limit itself to choosing technology partners and integrates third-party solutions. It's already partnering with industry leaders like Waymo and Aurora to provide self-driving taxi manufacturers access to their extensive customer base through their app.
Plans to expand robotaxi operations include launching the self-driving Volkswagen ID. Buzz minivans in Los Angeles in 2026. This aligns with Uber's broader strategy to enter the American autonomous passenger transportation market.
The prototype of the autonomous Lucid Gravity crossover with the Nuro system is already being tested. The process is conducted at a closed testing ground in Las Vegas, part of a joint project between Lucid and Nuro.
Notably, Nuro initially specialized in creating compact driverless cars for ground-based goods delivery. The company has expanded its scope of activities and entered the commercial freight and passenger transportation market.
The potential of Nuro technology is already attracting the attention of service providers such as Uber and leading automakers targeting consumer markets. The company is also negotiating with them, but specifics remain confidential.
Additionally, Lucid Motors has consolidated its shares in a ratio of one to ten. This is a standard procedure to maintain the desired price on the exchange. This action could indicate that the market is ready to reinvest.
Uber's partnership with Lucid and Nuro represents an important step in implementing the strategy to create a scalable robotaxi network. Following this collaboration, the market expects acceleration of the development of self-driving passenger transportation.
