Uber unveils custom robotaxi with Lucid and Nuro, targeting San Francisco launch this year

Uber's Not Done With Self-Driving Cars Just Yet. It's Designing a New Robotaxi With Lucid and Nuro

Uber is using CES to tell the world that it's still chasing the self-driving car dream. In Las Vegas on Monday, the ride-hailing company announced that it was developing a driverless robotaxi prototype with EV maker Lucid and autonomous vehicle company Nuro. While not as futuristic as Tesla’s Cybercab concept or Amazon’s Zoox, which has no steering wheel, the still unnamed Uber-designed version of Lucid's Gravity EV is expected to arrive in the San Francisco Bay Area at some point this year. It’ll join Waymo and Zoox robotaxis already on the road there. The companies said that on-road testing started at the end of last year, which isn’t surprising as Nuro already holds driverless testing permits through the California DMV. In fact, Nuro-branded autonomous vehicles started popping up on San Francisco streets last month. Eventually, the trio plan to offer the Level 4 robotaxi prototype everywhere Uber has a presence â€" if all goes well, that is. Monday’s big announcement provided us with the first look at what the prototype, which at its core is a repurposed Lucid Gravity, could look like. At first glance, the prototype takes advantage of Nuro's autonomous last-mile delivery know-how and Nvidia's Drive Hyperion platform for real-time AI processing. The passenger experience is indeed a combination of all the companies involved in this robotaxi project. Inside it looks like the Gravity, which seats up to six adults and has a large hatchback trunk for luggage, but has some robotaxi hallmarks like touchscreens, which allow you to customize the ride and control the interior climate, activate heated seats, and set music choices. In terms of support, the car features an autonomous vehicle customer support button and emergency stop setting. In addition, the screens show passengers what the robotaxi sees on the roadâ€"similar to the way Waymo shows pedestrians, traffic signals, and other carsâ€"all in real-time. Less noticeable is the prototype's sensor suite, which includes high-res cameras, solid-state LiDAR sensors, and radars. The sensors are built into the Gravity exterior and more visible on the roof, where it looks like a roof rack is riding on top of the Gravity. Lights on this roof rack sensor unit will light up with different colors, display passenger initials (just like Waymo), and provide status updates, the companies said. Missing from the announcement was more information about how customers could hail one of these robotaxis or get access to the cars once they start production. If I had to bet, I imagine that everything will be tied into the existing Uber app. The robotaxi prototype is expected to be built at Lucid’s Arizona factory at some point later this year. Of course, it'll have to pass autonomous validation benchmarks first before being deployed. With Monday’s announcement, Uber's efforts (and notorious failures) to take on autonomous driving on its own are officially gone. If anyone wants to check out the self-driving Gravity taxi, it’s on public display at the Nvidia showcase at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Las Vegas through Thursday.Â

Uber shows off its robotaxi heading for San Francisco

Las Vegas (AFP) - Uber on Monday unveiled a custom robotaxi it is adding to its global ride-share platform, starting on the San Francisco home turf it shares with rival Waymo, owned by Google. The Uber robotaxis are taking shape through a collaboration with autonomous driving technology firm Nuro and electric vehicle maker Lucid using a platform powered by AI-chip colossus Nvidia. Uber and Nvidia late last year announced an alliance to deploy 100,000 robotaxis starting in 2027. "Together with Uber, we're creating a framework for the entire industry to deploy autonomous fleets at scale, powered by Nvidia AI infrastructure," Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang said at the time. "What was once science fiction is fast becoming an everyday reality." Nvidia has been working with an array of automakers to put its technology to work in autonomous driving systems. The Lucid Gravity robotaxi, boasting room for six passengers and an Uber-designed in-cabin ride experience, went on display at an Nvidia exhibit at the Fontainebleau resort in Las Vegas. The all-electric Gravity robotaxis will have interactive screens that let riders control features like seat heaters, climate controls and music, and allow passengers to contact support teams or command vehicles to pull over, according to Uber. Road testing of the robotaxis began last month, with humans in the drivers seat as a precaution. Launch of the Uber robotaxi service is slated for later this year provided they get clearance from regulators in California. "Uber is proud to partner with Lucid and Nuro to bring a state-of-the-art robotaxi to market later this year," said Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's global head of autonomous mobility. Uber currently lets users in a few US cities hail robotaxis operated by Google-owned Waymo. Waymo robotaxis have grown in popularity in San Francisco and have even become a tourist attraction. Waymo's fleet in the area is estimated at more than 800 vehicles, and its service will be available in a total of 10 US cities in the coming months, as well as London. Amazon-owned Zoox has also started offering driverless ride service in parts of San Francisco as part of a limited "explorers" program for the service.

Uber shows off its robotaxi heading for San Francisco

The Uber robotaxis are taking shape through a collaboration with autonomous driving technology firm Nuro and electric vehicle maker Lucid using a platform powered by AI-chip colossus Nvidia. Uber on Monday unveiled a custom robotaxi it is adding to its global ride-share platform, starting on the San Francisco home turf it shares with rival Waymo, owned by Google. The Uber robotaxis are taking shape through a collaboration with autonomous driving technology firm Nuro and electric vehicle maker Lucid using a platform powered by AI-chip colossus Nvidia. Uber and Nvidia late last year announced an alliance to deploy 100,000 robotaxis starting in 2027. "Together with Uber, we're creating a framework for the entire industry to deploy autonomous fleets at scale, powered by Nvidia AI infrastructure," Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang said at the time. "What was once science fiction is fast becoming an everyday reality." Nvidia has been working with an array of automakers to put its technology to work in autonomous driving systems. The Lucid Gravity robotaxi, boasting room for six passengers and an Uber-designed in-cabin ride experience, went on display at an Nvidia exhibit at the Fontainebleau resort in Las Vegas. The all-electric Gravity robotaxis will have interactive screens that let riders control features like seat heaters, climate controls and music, and allow passengers to contact support teams or command vehicles to pull over, according to Uber. Road testing of the robotaxis began last month, with humans in the drivers seat as a precaution. Launch of the Uber robotaxi service is slated for later this year provided they get clearance from regulators in California. "Uber is proud to partner with Lucid and Nuro to bring a state-of-the-art robotaxi to market later this year," said Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's global head of autonomous mobility. Uber currently lets users in a few US cities hail robotaxis operated by Google-owned Waymo. Waymo robotaxis have grown in popularity in San Francisco and have even become a tourist attraction. Waymo's fleet in the area is estimated at more than 800 vehicles, and its service will be available in a total of 10 US cities in the coming months, as well as London. Amazon-owned Zoox has also started offering driverless ride service in parts of San Francisco as part of a limited "explorers" program for the service.

See the robotaxi revealed at CES from Lucid, Nuro and Uber (UBER:NYSE)

Lucid Group (LCID), Nuro, and Uber Technologies (UBER) unveiled the production intent vehicles that will be used in their global robotaxi service and introduced the Uber-designed in-cabin rider experience for the first time at CES. Highlights of The robotaxi signifies a key milestone toward scaling autonomous mobility by consolidating Nuro's automation, Lucid's vehicles, and Uber's rideshare reach. The robotaxi features next-gen sensors, real-time AI compute via Nvidia, and rider-friendly interfaces, promising safer, more transparent autonomous rides. On-road testing began recently using prototypes in the Bay Area, and launch is expected in the San Francisco region pending final validation.

Uber, Lucid and Nuro Begin On-Road Testing for Robotaxi Service

Uber, Lucid and Nuro said they began on-road testing for their planned robotaxi service. The companies said Monday the testing began last month and evaluates a number of capabilities including Nuro's artificial intelligence foundation model. The program also includes closed-course testing and simulation. Nuro is leading the testing using robotaxi engineering prototypes supervised by autonomous vehicle operators, beginning in the San Francisco Bay Area, the companies said. Pending final validation, the robotaxi is expected to start production at Lucid's Arizona factory later this year. The companies expect to offer the service in the Bay Area later this year. The companies announced their plans for the service, which will be offered on Uber's ride-hailing app, in July.