Uber backs 50k Rivian robotaxis
Uber will invest up to $1.25 billion with Rivian to deploy 50,000 fully autonomous robotaxis starting in San Francisco and Miami—a major private investment that accelerates AV competition with public transit for urban trips. Early tester notes describe a cautious, 'robotic' driving style with harsh braking, flagging operational and safety integration challenges for mixed fleets. (el-balad.com)
An initial $300 million commitment was signed at deal close, with additional disbursements tied to autonomous-performance milestones running through 2031. (investor.uber.com) Uber or its fleet partners are slated to buy an initial tranche of 10,000 Rivian R2 vehicles, with contractual options to purchase up to 40,000 more by 2030. (investor.uber.com) Rivian says R2 validation is operating from a pilot manufacturing line and the company’s CEO R.J. Scaringe previewed the R2 as a roughly $45,000 SUV during early 2026 demos. (stories.rivian.com) The Rivian pact arrives days after Uber expanded its NVIDIA partnership to deploy NVIDIA DRIVE L4 software on Uber’s network, with an initial NVIDIA-powered rollout slated to begin in 2027 and scale across dozens of cities by 2028. (money.usnews.com) Consumer Watchdog and related filings note that Rivian had logged no autonomous testing miles in California through the end of 2025, and advocacy groups have raised liability and accountability questions tied to the planned commercial deployments. (consumerwatchdog.org) The companies structured procurement and funding around regulatory approval and measurable autonomy milestones, a framework that will determine timing for vehicle deliveries, permitting reviews, and insurer/operational readiness across municipal jurisdictions. (investor.uber.com)
