Uber announced a new set of services to support autonomous vehicle ride-sharing ahead of the planned launch of robotaxis in Los Angeles in the coming months.
Uber's new program, called Uber Autonomous Solutions, aims to give robotaxi companies easy access to Uber customers, software and infrastructure.
Participating companies would gain access to the Uber platform, one of the most used transportation apps in the world, as well as unique data that Uber has collected from busy streets and pickup areas.
“When partners connect to the Uber network, they can scale more efficiently, operate more reliably, and move faster,” said Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's global head of mobility and autonomous delivery.
Under a partnership with Volkswagen announced last year, Uber plans to offer a network of autonomous ride-sharing taxis that transport multiple passengers. It said it plans to launch the service in Los Angeles early this year and that testing has begun.
The company said the ride-hailing service will use an autonomous electric minivan from Volkswagen called the ID. Buzz. The effort will rely on autonomous technology from Volkswagen-owned tech brand MOIA.
The Volkswagen-Uber partnership could be one of many: Uber's announcement this week outlined a range of tools and software it offers to companies looking to scale autonomous vehicle operations.
“Uber has put together a host of tools that will make it easier for robotaxi developers or robotaxi vehicle owners to bring their vehicles to the Uber platform,” said automotive analyst Sam Abuelsamid. “Most of them don't really want to be in the business of owning and operating vehicles.”
Uber is not new to the autonomous vehicle space. It attempted to develop its own AV, but gave up in 2020. The company is now leaning toward a model in which other companies develop the technology for robotaxis and Uber makes money from them through its app.
Uber already has a partnership with Waymo, the Mountain View-based self-driving transportation company. In Austin and Atlanta, customers can reserve a Waymo vehicle through the Uber app.
San Francisco-based Uber is also preparing to launch a robotaxi in collaboration with Lucid, a Silicon Valley-based electric vehicle maker, and Nuro, an artificial intelligence company. The companies did not say where the robotaxi would first be available, but said it would launch in late 2026.
In a Nuro press release, the company described the vehicle as “the most luxurious robotaxi in the industry.” It will feature a software interface created by Uber for passengers that is also offered as part of Uber Autonomous Solutions.
“Autonomous technology has remarkable potential to make transportation safer and more affordable,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement Monday. “For more than a decade, Uber has helped set the standard for on-demand mobility.”
This month, Uber announced it would spend $100 million to build fast-charging stations for autonomous electric vehicles in Los Angeles, the Bay Area and Dallas. The move further solidified Uber's commitment to the robotaxi market.
Uber is not the only one in the race to have more robotaxis on the roads.
Waymo is among the biggest players in the robotaxi industry, with fully driverless services operating in 10 major cities. Waymo arrived in Los Angeles in 2024 and announced this week its expansion to four new cities in Florida and Texas.
Waymo's arrival in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando gives the company a boost over Amazon-backed Zoox, which is still testing its robotaxis in a handful of cities. Waymo has driven more than 200 million fully autonomous miles on public roads.
Elon Musk has also been trying to disrupt the industry with his Tesla robotaxi, which began serving customers in Austin in the summer. In March, Tesla took a step toward autonomous vehicle services in California by applying for a transportation-related permit.
