Uber is building an autonomous vehicle empire, and here’s every company it’s using to do it

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Uber has partnered with — and successful immoderate cases made nonstop investments successful — much than 30 autonomous conveyance companies implicit the past 2 years. And it’s taking a planetary approach.

Here, TechCrunch tracks each 1 of those moves successful 1 place. But first, a spot of history. 

Uber was, astatine 1 time, processing and investigating its ain autonomous conveyance (AV) technology. The company, past led by Travis Kalanick, created Uber Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) successful 2014 and recruited dozens of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University’s robotics program. 

Two years later, Uber acquired Otto, a self-driving motortruck institution founded by erstwhile Google self-driving technologist Anthony Levandowski, Lior Ron, Don Burnette (who has since gone connected to recovered Kodiak AI), and Claire Delaunay. Uber besides began investigating its AVs connected nationalist streets successful 2016 crossed California, Pittsburgh, and Arizona. 

All of that advancement unraveled crossed 3 defining moments: Waymo’s commercialized secrets suit against Uber, the resignation of Kalanick successful 2017, and a fatal clang successful Tempe, Arizona, successful 2018 involving its self-driving Volvo XC90, which struck and killed a pedestrian. (The conveyance was successful autonomous mode, and a quality information relation down the instrumentality astatine the clip wasn’t paying attention.) Uber suspended its investigating and reorganized the program, though it ne'er genuinely returned to its mission.

After Dara Khosrowshahi took the instrumentality astatine Uber, the institution went done a reset. 

In 2020, Uber walked distant from each of its moonshots, including autonomous vehicles, to absorption connected its halfway businesses of ride-hailing and transportation utilizing human-driven vehicles. Uber sold Uber ATG to Aurora, Jump to Lime, and Elevate to Joby Aviation. It didn’t wholly divest, though. Uber kept equity stakes successful each of them.

Just 2 years later, Uber crept backmost successful and started making AV deals. The woody travel picked up successful earnest successful 2024. Below is the afloat list, which TechCrunch volition support updated arsenic Uber makes caller moves.

Aurora

class 8 self-driving motortruck  with aurora innovation exertion   connected  uber freight networkImage Credits:Aurora Innovation

Uber has been connected with Aurora since 2020 when, arsenic mentioned above, it sold its Uber ATG portion to the company. Uber received equity successful Aurora arsenic portion of that woody and inactive owns that stake. As of this past April, Uber, done its holding institution Neben Holdings, owns 325.97 cardinal Aurora Class A shares, representing a 19.7% Class A equity involvement and 6.9% voting power, according to SEC filings. 

Uber Freight, the logistics concern spun retired of Uber successful 2018, announced successful June 2024 a multi-year collaboration with Aurora that expanded upon an existing aviator program. In May 2025, the companies said Aurora’s self-driving trucks had been completing roundtrip hauls betwixt Dallas and Houston via the Uber Freight platform. 

Autobrains

In June 2026, the companies announced plans to motorboat a robotaxi programme successful Munich, pending regulatory approval. The concern lacks immoderate details, specified arsenic what conveyance volition beryllium used. The companies pitched this arsenic an OEM-agnostic model. Vehicles volition beryllium equipped with Israel-based Autobrains’ agentic AI driving system, which runs connected Nvidia’s Drive Hyperion platform. The robotaxis volition beryllium disposable via Uber’s app. 

Avomo

Avomo, a European institution that was antecedently known arsenic Moove Cars, is an autonomous fleet relation partner. Uber really took a 30% involvement successful Avomo successful 2021. 

And portion Avomo mightiness not person the aforesaid sanction designation arsenic different players, it is embedded successful Uber’s AV business. For instance, it is the institution liable for managing fleet services specified arsenic conveyance cleaning, maintenance, inspections, charging, and depot operations for the Waymo-Uber partnership successful Austin. Avomo besides handles fleet operations for Uber arsenic portion of its robotaxi work statement with WeRide in Madrid, which was announced successful June 2026. 

Important note: don’t mistake Avomo (formerly Moove Cars), for Moove, an African institution that manages Waymo’s AV fleet successful Phoenix.

Avride

Image Credits:Avride

Avride, the Yandex spinout present nether genitor institution Nebius Group, announced a multi-year deal with Uber successful October 2024 to bring Avride’s sidewalk transportation robots and autonomous vehicles to some Uber’s transportation unit, Uber Eats, and Uber’s ride-hailing app. 

In February 2025, Uber shared successful its fourth-quarter net that Uber Eats orders successful Austin and Dallas were being delivered via autonomous sidewalk robots successful concern with Avride. Avride disclosed successful autumn 2025 that it had secured strategical investments and commercialized commitments worthy $375 cardinal from Uber and Nebius. Neither institution provided details connected the concern and however overmuch was capital. 

By the extremity of 2025, Avride robotaxis — built connected Hyundai IONIQ 5s outfitted with Avride’s self-driving strategy — were disposable connected the Uber app in Dallas. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Avride successful May 2026 aft identifying much than a twelve crashes and 1 insignificant injury.

As of this past June, these were not driverless and inactive had a quality information relation down the wheel. 

Baidu

Uber announced a multi-year strategical concern with the Chinese tech elephantine successful July 2025. Under the agreement, thousands of Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles volition beryllium deployed connected the Uber level successful aggregate markets extracurricular the U.S. and mainland China. Those deployments were acceptable to commencement successful Asia and the Middle East aboriginal successful 2025, the companies said astatine the time.

In precocious 2025, Baidu said it would commencement investigating Apollo Go robotaxis successful London successful the archetypal fractional of 2026 done its concern with Uber. As of June, those tests had not begun. 

Cartken 

The sidewalk transportation robot institution started moving with Uber successful 2022, announcing a partnership to present nutrient successful Miami, with plans to adhd much cities successful 2023. The 2 companies expanded to commercialized deliveries successful Fairfax, Virginia that aforesaid twelvemonth and, successful February 2025, announced that they were delivering nutrient successful Osaka, Japan, utilizing Cartken robots.

Cartken shifted its absorption to industrial robots by summertime 2025. The institution said it would support its nutrient and user last-mile transportation business, but had nary plans to grow it. 

Coco

Coco Robotics, robots, transportation  robotsA Coco robot successful Santa Monica, California connected August 14, 2024.Image Credits:James D. Morgan / Contributor / Getty Images

In 2024, the 2 companies announced a concern to usage Coco’s sidewalk robots to present nutrient for Uber Eats customers, starting successful Los Angeles. The concern expanded to neighborhoods successful Miami successful April 2025.

Cruise

Uber and GM’s Cruise announced a strategical concern successful August 2024 to bring Cruise’s robotaxis onto the Uber app successful 2025. That announcement was notable for Cruise, which had gone done a large overhaul, including layoffs and the resignation of its co-founders aft 1 of its robotaxis struck a pedestrian in October 2023.

The Cruise reboot ne'er got disconnected the ground; successful December 2024, citing precocious costs and mounting competition, GM pulled the plug connected Cruise’s robotaxi concern wholly and folded the portion into its broader engineering operations.

The concern nary longer exists due to the fact that — welp — Cruise itself doesn’t, astatine slightest not arsenic a robotaxi company. But astatine 1 time, the 2 companies had struck a deal.

Flytrex

Uber announced successful September 2025 a partnership with drone transportation institution Flytrex. The concern besides included a tiny concern successful Flytrex, though the magnitude was not disclosed.

Hertz 

Hertz isn’t processing autonomous conveyance tech, but it’s inactive worthy including the rental car institution here. In April of this year, Uber formed strategical fleet partnerships with Hertz and its affiliated operating institution Oro Mobility. 

This woody is portion of Uber’s plans to motorboat a premium robotaxi work utilizing Lucid vehicles equipped with Nuro’s self-driving system. Hertz has been tasked with day-to-day fleet management, including charging, maintenance, repairs, cleaning, and depot staffing. 

Lucid

Uber/Lucid robotaxiImage Credits:Uber

Uber has enactment existent wealth down EV shaper Lucid Motors. Uber announced plans successful 2025 to motorboat a premium robotaxi work utilizing robotaxi-ready vehicles from Lucid. Initially, Uber said it would put $300 cardinal into Lucid and separately bargain astatine slightest 20,000 of its Lucid Gravity SUVs implicit six years. The vehicles volition beryllium equipped with Nuro’s self-driving system. 

In April, Uber upped its bid and investment. Lucid received another $200 million from Uber, which besides accrued its minimum bid to 35,000 vehicles. The bid includes Lucid’s upcoming mid-sized platform. Uber present owns much than 11% of Lucid arsenic portion of investments it has made alongside the conveyance orders.

May Mobility 

Image Credits:May Mobility

The Michigan-based autonomous conveyance startup reached an statement with Uber successful May 2025 to deploy its AVs done the app by the extremity of that year, starting successful Arlington, Texas.

Uber and May Mobility announced plans astatine the clip to grow to different U.S. markets successful 2026 and “deploy thousands of AVs” over “the adjacent fewer years,” according to the startup.

As of June, Arlington, Texas, remains the lone marketplace wherever customers utilizing the Uber app tin hail a May Mobility vehicle. 

Mercedes

In January of this year, Mercedes-Benz announced it was collaborating with Nvidia to make a robotaxi ecosystem utilizing self-driving S-Class sedans that would beryllium connected the Uber ride-hailing platform. No circumstantial cities person been announced.

Momenta 

The Chinese autonomous driving tech institution reached an statement with Uber successful May 2025 to adhd its robotaxis to the app, starting successful Europe successful aboriginal 2026, with information operators connected board.

A fewer months aboriginal successful September 2025, the Beijing-based institution and Uber said they would commencement investigating robotaxis successful Munich, Germany successful 2026. 

Motional 

A Hyundai Ioniq 5 powered by Motional connected  Uber's web  successful  Las VegasA Hyundai Ioniq 5 powered by Motional connected Uber’s web successful Las VegasImage Credits:Motional

Motional, a subsidiary of Hyundai, has been moving with Uber successful immoderate signifier since 2021 erstwhile the companies announced plans to motorboat autonomous deliveries successful Santa Monica. This was considered a aviator and ne'er became a commercialized programme oregon utilized afloat driverless vehicles. 

The companies expanded the concern successful October 2022 with a 10-year operating statement that volition yet rotation retired to large cities crossed North America; Las Vegas and Los Angeles were among the archetypal named cities. While Motional and Uber stay partners, a commercialized driverless work (meaning nary quality information relation down the wheel) has yet to materialize. 

Motional went done a reboot successful 2024, taking a caller AI-centric attack to its self-driving system. In March 2026, Motional’s self-driving Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles were added to the Uber app in Las Vegas for autonomous rides to and from 5 areas of the city. Human information monitors are inactive riding along

New Horizon

New Horizon is simply a fleet absorption institution progressive successful Uber’s statement with Baidu to bring the Chinese company’s Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing work to Dubai.

Nissan

Nissan is portion of Uber’s concern statement with Wayve. In March of this year, Uber announced plans to adhd self-driving Nissan Leaf EVs to its web successful Tokyo, powered by Wayve’s tech. (See the Wayve introduction beneath for more.)

Nuro

nuro-av-japanImage Credits:Nuro

The self-driving tech startup has been tied to Uber since astatine slightest 2022, but the narration has changed. Initially, Nuro was processing a custom-built transportation conveyance designed for the roadway. Uber and Nuro announced a 10-year partnership successful 2022 to motorboat autonomous deliveries successful Mountain View, California, and Houston starting that fall. 

Nuro pivoted distant from the transportation conveyance and decided to absorption connected licensing its self-driving tech to automakers and robotaxi operators. Uber stuck with Nuro and successful 2025 announced a landmark woody to motorboat a premium robotaxi work utilizing Lucid Gravity SUVs equipped with the startup’s self-driving system. 

San Francisco volition beryllium the archetypal market. In June of this year, the companies announced the 2nd marketplace volition be Houston. Uber has besides invested successful Nuro. Sources acquainted with the fiscal presumption person told TechCrunch that Uber’s full committedness to Nuro, which includes its information successful the startup’s Series E circular successful 2025 and aboriginal milestone-based investments, is astir $500 million.

Nvidia

Uber archetypal publically talked astir Nvidia successful January 2018, a antithetic epoch for some companies. Uber picked Nvidia to supply AI computing for its autonomous software. With Uber’s in-house AV programme sold disconnected successful 2020, that woody ended. 

Fast guardant to CES 2025, erstwhile Uber said it would usage Nvidia’s generative satellite exemplary simulation tool, Cosmos, and cloud-based AI supercomputing platform, DGX Cloud, to enactment the improvement of AV tech. Uber didn’t stock galore details astatine the clip astir however it planned to usage these Nvidia tools. 

In October 2025, Uber and Nvidia announced plans to usage Nvidia’s Hyperion autonomous level to accelerate Uber’s robotaxi program. As portion of that announcement, Stellantis committed to delivering astatine slightest 5,000 Nvidia Drive-powered vehicles to Uber for robotaxi operations successful the U.S. and internationally — 1 of the archetypal automakers to bash so.

In March of this year, the companies expanded the partnership and announced plans to motorboat a planetary fleet of wholly Nvidia software-driven autonomous vehicles, starting successful Los Angeles and San Francisco successful the archetypal fractional of 2027 and scaling crossed 28 cities globally by 2028. The companies said the vehicles volition tally Nvidia’s Drive Hyperion level and usage Alpamayo, Nvidia’s household of open-source AI models, datasets, and simulation tools designed to grip analyzable driving situations.  

Pony.ai

Image Credits:Uber / Rimac

The Guangzhou, China-based institution and Uber announced a concern successful May 2025 with an oculus on the Middle East. The companies planned to motorboat a aviator that twelvemonth that would make

Pony.ai’s robotaxis (with a information relation connected board) disposable connected the Uber app.

In March 2026, Uber, Pony.ai, and Croatian institution Verne announced plans to motorboat a commercialized robotaxi work successful Europe, starting successful Zagreb, Croatia. Pony.ai volition proviso the autonomous driving strategy and a robotaxi called the Arcfox Alpha T5 that was developed with Chinese automaker BAIC. Verne volition ain and run the fleet, and Uber volition supply its immense ride-hailing network. 

Rivian 

This unexpected deal, which was announced successful March 2026, could beryllium worthy up to $1.25 cardinal for Rivian. Under the agreement, Rivian volition physique thousands of robotaxis based connected its caller R2 SUV and volition beryllium equipped with the EV maker’s self-driving system, which is inactive nether development. 

Uber made an archetypal $300 cardinal concern successful Rivian and is “expected to acquisition 10,000 afloat autonomous R2 robotaxis” up of a planned rollout successful San Francisco and Miami successful 2028. The 2 companies said astatine the clip they program to motorboat the robotaxis successful “25 cities successful the U.S., Canada, and Europe by the extremity of 2031.” The fleet volition beryllium exclusively disposable connected Uber’s network.

Serve Robotics

serve robot with uber eats branding Image Credits:Uber

The sidewalk transportation robot startup is rooted successful Uber, benignant of. In 2020, Uber acquired on-demand transportation startup Postmates. The pursuing year, the robotics part known arsenic Postmates X spun retired arsenic an autarkic institution called Serve Robotics.

Uber besides invested successful Serve, which went public successful 2024 done a merger with a blank-check company.  

Uber Eats has used Serve Robotics’ robots for a fewer years successful the United States. 

Starship Technologies

Sidewalk transportation robot institution Starship Technologies struck a deal with Uber’s transportation portion Eats successful November 2025. Under the deal, Starship robots volition present nutrient orders via the Uber Eats app successful aggregate European countries successful 2026 and yet grow to the U.S. successful 2027.

Stellantis

The automaker announced successful June 2026 a woody with self-driving startup Wayve, and Uber to jointly make and deploy driverless robotaxis. Stellantis and Wayve, which Uber has invested in, were already moving together. This woody brings each of the components together: automaker, self-driving tech, and ride-hailing network.

The companies person agreed to enactment unneurotic connected conveyance integration, testing, and validation earlier Stellantis-made vehicles equipped with Wayve’s tech are deployed successful the existent world, and specifically crossed Europe and North America.

Tawasul

The UAE-based Tawasul is different relation andpartnered with Uber successful 2024 to supply fleet absorption services for Uber’s WeRide robotaxi work successful Abu Dhabi. 

Torc Robotics

Uber Freight, the logistics institution that spun retired of Uber successful 2018, announced a partnership successful precocious December with Torc Robotics, a self-driving trucks institution that was acquired by Daimler successful 2019. The concern has mostly focused connected data.

Torc has utilized Uber Freight to analyse measurement patterns, shippers’ networks, and different information that volition assistance it place the astir effectual lanes and astir suitable commercialized applications for autonomous trucking deployment.

Verne 

Uber’s narration with Verne is beauteous fresh. The company, formed by Rimac Group laminitis Mate Rimac, reached an statement successful March 2026 to motorboat a commercialized robotaxi work successful Europe, starting successful Zagreb, Croatia. Pony.ai, the 3rd partner, is supplying the self-driving system. Verne volition ain and run the fleet of vehicles made by Chinese automaker BAIC.

Uber besides planned to put successful Verne, though the presumption person not been disclosed. 

Volkswagen/MOIA

MOIA / Volkswagen self-driving microbusesImage Credits:MOIA/Volkswagen /

Volkswagen’s subsidiary MOIA America and Uber announced plans successful 2025 to motorboat a commercialized robotaxi work utilizing autonomous versions of Volkswagen’s electrical ID. Buzz minivan. The companies said robotaxis volition motorboat successful aggregate U.S. cities implicit the adjacent decade. Los Angeles is the archetypal city.

The companies, which person acceptable up a associated installation successful Los Angeles for day-to-day fleet operations, said successful April 2026 that a robotaxi work would motorboat aboriginal successful the year, with a quality information relation connected board. Driverless operations are expected to statesman successful 2027.

Volvo Autonomous Solutions

Uber Freight, which connects companies that request to vessel goods with motortruck drivers and fleet carriers, archetypal partnered with Volvo Autonomous Solutions successful 2023. Two years later, the companies said the concern was moving “out of the readying signifier and delivering tangible results.”

Volvo’s VNL Autonomous truck, which was built with redundancies to enactment self-driving tech developed by Aurora Innovation, began delivering loads for Uber Freight customers betwixt Dallas and Houston. Those routes person since expanded.

Waabi

The Uber and Waabi narration is besides a heavy cut. The laminitis and CEO, Raquel Urtasun, antecedently worked astatine Uber arsenic chief scientist astatine its autonomous conveyance division, Uber ATG, which Uber sold to self-driving trucking steadfast Aurora Innovation successful 2020.

Urtasun founded Waabi successful 2021 with an archetypal absorption connected self-driving trucks. Uber was among the investors that participated successful its $83.5 cardinal Series A round. Waabi and Uber got a batch person successful 2026. In January, Waabi raised $1 cardinal — $750 cardinal successful a Series C circular and about$250 million successful milestone-based superior from Uber to enactment the deployment of robotaxis equipped with Waabi’s self-driving system. 

Waymo

Waymo connected  UberImage Credits:Waymo/Uber

The Alphabet-owned institution archetypal partnered with Uber successful May 2023, erstwhile it agreed to bring immoderate of its robotaxis connected the Uber platform, starting successful Phoenix. The narration successful Phoenix is constricted since Waymo customers tin besides straight hail a robotaxi utilizing the company’s ain app.

The pursuing year, the companies announced an enlargement to Austin and Atlanta, though this clip the Waymo robotaxis could lone beryllium accessed via the Uber app. The Austin work launched successful March 2025, followed by Atlanta by June 2025. 

The narration has not expanded since; it has really shrunk. The companies ended their Phoenix concern successful past month, successful July. Waymo is present moving to get retired of its declaration with Uber, which doesn’t extremity until May 2028.

Wayve

Nissan, Uber, and Wayve collaboration - achromatic  robotaxiImage Credits:Nissan

The buzzy UK self-driving startup has some partnered with and received superior from Uber. In February 2026, Wayve raised $1.2 cardinal successful a circular that included returning backers Microsoft, Nvidia, and Uber. The full rise could scope $1.5 cardinal acknowledgment to different $300 cardinal from Uber contingent connected deploying robotaxis, opening successful London.

In March 2026, Uber announced plans to adhd self-driving Nissan Leaf EVs to its web successful Tokyo, powered by Wayve’s tech. A aviator has been scheduled for precocious 2026. Under the deal, Wayve volition integrate its AI-powered, self-driving bundle into a Nissan Leaf, which volition beryllium disposable connected Uber’s ride-hail web successful Japan.

WeRide  

Image Credits:WeRide

The Chinese robotaxi institution is 1 of Uber’s much prolific partners. It publically disclosed the concern successful September 2024 and shared plans to bring WeRide robotaxis to the Uber platform, starting successful Abu Dhabi. The work launched successful December 2024 with quality information operators and went driverless successful November 2025. WeRide robotaxis launched connected the Uber app successful Dubai successful precocious 2025. 

Uber expanded the concern to bring WeRide’s AVs to 15 much cities by 2030, including successful Europe. In these cities, WeRide’s robotaxis volition beryllium disposable done the Uber app, and Uber volition beryllium liable for fleet operations. As portion of the expansion, Uber accrued its concern into WeRide by $100 million. Uber has since revealed immoderate of those cities, including Madrid and Zurich.

In February 2026, the concern expanded again with the companies agreeing to deploy astatine slightest 1,200 robotaxis crossed the Middle East. The deployment, which volition span Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is expected to beryllium completed arsenic soon arsenic 2027.

Zoox

The Amazon-owned institution is an Uber latecomer. The companies announced a strategical concern successful March 2026 to deploy Zoox robotaxis connected the Uber app successful Las Vegas this twelvemonth and successful Los Angeles successful 2027.

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