Uber has announced plans to roll out a fleet of 20,000 self-driving taxis after striking a landmark $300 million (£224 million) deal with electric vehicle maker Lucid Group, marking a major leap forward in its autonomous ride-hailing ambitions.
The ride-sharing giant will begin deploying the Lucid Gravity SUVs—equipped with self-driving technology developed by robotics company Nuro—from next year. The vehicles will be introduced gradually over six years, starting in a major US city in 2025.
As part of the partnership, Uber will also take a $300 million equity stake in Lucid, making it the EV manufacturer’s second-largest shareholder after Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Uber is also investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Nuro to strengthen its self-driving technology pipeline.
Uber’s chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said the programme has the potential to reshape urban mobility.
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