Uber to launch a premium robotaxi service in Waymo’s turf of San Francisco

Uber has picked San Francisco to motorboat a premium robotaxi work that volition usage Lucid Motors’ all-electric Gravity SUVs equipped with self-driving tech developed by Nuro, successful 2026 — a determination that puts the ride-hailing elephantine successful nonstop contention with Waymo.

The announcement was made arsenic the past time of TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 kicked disconnected successful San Francisco. Nuro president and co-CEO Dave Ferguson, and Uber main merchandise serviceman Sachin Kansal are scheduled to beryllium interviewed connected the Disrupt signifier Wednesday afternoon.

“The Bay Area has agelong been the birthplace of transformative technology, and it’s lone fitting that Uber’s next-generation robotaxi programme with Lucid and Nuro volition statesman present — launching to the nationalist adjacent year,” Kansal said successful a statement. “By combining heavy expertise successful electrical vehicles, autonomy, and ridehailing, we’re laying the groundwork for harmless and scalable autonomous rides successful the Bay Area and beyond.”

Earlier this year, Uber said it would invest $300 million successful Lucid and separately bargain “at least” 20,000 of its caller Gravity SUVs implicit the adjacent six years arsenic portion of a program to make and motorboat a premium robotaxi service. Those EVs would beryllium equipped with Nuro’s autonomous conveyance system, and owned and operated by Uber oregon its third-party fleet partners. At the time, the 3 companies had not identified their motorboat market.

The determination to motorboat successful San Francisco could adhd hostility to Uber’s narration with Waymo. The companies had squared disconnected successful 2018 successful a trade secrets theft case, but person since patched up — earlier this year, they launched a robotaxi service in Austin and Atlanta.

Now, Uber is entering a domain dominated by the Alphabet-owned self-driving division. Waymo, based successful Mountain View, California, operates commercialized robotaxi services successful the San Francisco Bay Area, arsenic good arsenic Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. The institution has said it plans to motorboat successful six much cities successful 2026.

Uber, Nuro and Lucid are already processing a fleet of trial vehicles. Lucid precocious delivered vehicles to Nuro, which is integrating its self-driving strategy into the fleet for investigating and validation. The trial fleet is expected to scope astir 100 vehicles, according to the companies.

Testing connected nationalist roads volition beryllium the astir disposable motion of the partnership, but Nuro besides plans to usage simulation and closed courses for testing.

Over the past 2 years, Uber has locked successful a bevy of partnerships with autonomous conveyance exertion companies, covering the spectrum of however self-driving systems tin beryllium applied to the carnal satellite — though its deals with Waymo, Nuro and Lucid mightiness beryllium the meatiest. The ride-hailing elephantine has partnered with much than 18 companies globally, across ride-hailing, transportation and trucking. This twelvemonth alone, it announced deals with Ann Arbor, Michigan-based May Mobility and Volkswagen, arsenic good arsenic Chinese self-driving firms Momenta, WeRide and Baidu.