Uber, NVIDIA plan robotaxi rollout in 28 cities by 2028
What's the story
Uber Technologies and NVIDIA have announced a partnership to deploy a fleet of robotaxis on the ride-hailing network. The deployment will start in Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2027, and expand to 28 cities worldwide by 2028. The autonomous vehicles will be powered by NVIDIA's DRIVE Hyperion platform and Alpamayo AI model, which is designed to handle complex road scenarios.
Implementation plan
Initial phase involves data-collection vehicles
The initial phase of the robotaxi rollout will involve data-collection vehicles. These will be used to train the system on city-specific driving conditions. This will then be followed by operator-supervised launches and eventually fully driverless Level 4 operations. The companies plan to expand this service across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia as part of a larger effort to bring autonomous ride-hailing into mainstream use.
Vision statement
Uber's strategy in the autonomous vehicle space
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has said that the partnership with NVIDIA is aimed at supporting a "multi-player" autonomous vehicle ecosystem on the company's platform. This comes as more developers and automakers are bringing robotaxi services to market. The collaboration with NVIDIA fits into Uber's strategy of forming partnerships in the autonomous vehicle space, instead of developing its own technology.
Past collaborations
Previous partnerships in the autonomous ride-hailing space
Before teaming up with NVIDIA, Uber had already partnered with electric vehicle maker Lucid Group and autonomous driving startup Nuro. The plan was to deploy robotaxis built on Lucid vehicles and powered by Nuro's self-driving software on the Uber network. These moves highlight Uber's commitment to building a robust ecosystem for autonomous ride-hailing services through strategic partnerships rather than internal development.