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Uber is making significant investments in EV maker Lucid and autonomous vehicle technology startup Nuro to launch its own premium robotaxi service. The deal includes a $300 million investment in Lucid and the purchase of at least 20,000 of the EV maker’s new Gravity SUV equipped with Nuro’s autonomous vehicle system. These vehicles will be operated by Uber or its fleet partners, with plans to launch a robotaxi service in a major U.S. city next year.
Engineering progress has already been made on the project, with Lucid and Nuro testing a prototype driverless vehicle in Las Vegas. The Gravity SUVs are ideal for the project due to their hardware redundancies required for Level 3 automated driving systems. The Nuro-equipped Gravity vehicles will operate at Level 4 autonomy, meaning they can handle all driving aspects in certain conditions without human intervention.
Uber’s partnership with various autonomous vehicle technology companies demonstrates its commitment to tapping into the autonomous vehicle market. The agreement with Nuro, a startup that has raised over $2 billion since its founding in 2016, validates its shift in focus towards core autonomous driving technology. The partnership with Uber and other upcoming deals indicate that Nuro’s strategic pivot is yielding positive results.
