In a major move that could reshape the autonomous mobility landscape, Uber, Nuro, and Lucid Motors have announced a high-profile partnership aimed at building a next-generation robotaxi service. Backed by hundreds of millions in investment from Uber, the trio hopes to carve a unique space in the growing self-driving market.
Each partner brings a critical piece of the puzzle:
Nuro, founded by former Waymo engineers, contributes its autonomous driving software and hardware design. Known for its compact delivery robots, Nuro is now pivoting toward licensing its self-driving tech.
Lucid Motors, recognized for its luxury EVs like the Lucid Air and Gravity SUV, will build the robotaxi vehicles based on Nuro’s hardware architecture.
Uber, the ride-hailing giant, will own and operate the robotaxis, integrating them into its platform.
The plan includes building at least 20,000 autonomous vehicles over the next six years. Note that Lucid currently produces around 10,000 cars annually.
The first wave of robotaxis will likely be based on the Lucid Gravity, a premium SUV known for its futuristic design and $100,000 price tag. While an unusual choice for a cost-sensitive market like ride-hailing, Gravity’s drive-by-wire system and EV architecture make it a good technical match for autonomous retrofitting. Nuro’s use of NVIDIA’s powerful Thor processor and off-the-shelf sensors helps streamline the tech stack.
However, the luxury focus raises questions about scalability. Most Uber riders opt for UberX, the budget-friendly option, rather than premium categories like Uber Black or Select. Long-term success may depend on whether Lucid can produce a more affordable autonomous vehicle.
Previously focused solely on delivery bots, Nuro is now shifting toward being a platform provider. Rather than building and operating their fleet, they’ll license their tech to companies like Uber and Lucid — a move that mirrors strategies by firms like Mobileye and Aurora.
