Uber announced a $300 million investment in Lucid to build a new fleet of electric robotaxis. The ride-hailing giant is launching the program with Lucid and Nuro to deliver more than 20000 autonomous cars over the next six years. The vehicles will be built by Lucid and powered by Nuro’s level 4 self-driving system. These cars will not need a human driver under normal conditions.

Lucid's CEO Marc Winterhoff said this deal gives his company a chance to explore a new market. The robotaxis will begin operating in a major U.S. city next year. Uber said the program is designed only for the Uber platform. Nuro will also receive a large investment from Uber to build its AI driving software.

Robotaxi Program Set To Disrupt Ride-Hailing Market

Lucid’s Gravity EVs can run up to 450 miles and will help reduce charging time and cost. The company said more vehicles may be added in the future. The first test cars are already running in a closed Las Vegas track. Nuro said this model is a blueprint for a robotaxi system that is profitable and can scale globally.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Nuro and Lucid on this new robotaxi program, purpose-built just for the Uber platform, to safely bring the magic of autonomous driving to more people across the world,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

This deal follows Uber’s existing partnership with Waymo. The expansion of driverless rides has already reached Austin and Atlanta. Uber sees Lucid and Nuro as key players in pushing robotaxis to more cities. Tesla is also testing its robotaxi in Austin but still needs a driver at the wheel.