Uber will operate its own robotaxis again—this time with Rivian’s not‑yet‑built EVs

After six years on the sidelines, Uber is making a clear push to deploy its own robotaxis again, with deal structures that seem designed to limit its risk.

It’s a significant reversal from a few years ago, when Uber sold its self‑driving unit, ATG, after a fatal crash in 2018 and years of heavy losses. Since then, Uber has gone a different path—inking deals with nearly every major robotaxi player in the market, from Waymo to WeRide. It’s only Tesla that doesn’t work with the ride-hail company, though that wasn’t for lack of trying on Uber’s part. 

In all of those deals, Uber has integrated other companies’ AV fleets into its app; the AV companies own and operate the cars. That’s changing. 

First, there was the deal with Lucid Motors in 2025 to purchase and deploy up to 20,000 vehicles equipped with Nuro’s autonomy stack. On Thursday, Uber announced a similar deal with Rivian for its yet‑to‑be‑built R2 platform. The company is planning to purchase 10,000 fully autonomous R2‑based robotaxis if Rivian meets development and validation milestones, with an option to scale to 50,000, according to SEC filings and company statements. Uber is also making a $300 million investment in the company as part of the deal, and potentially another $950 million more should Rivian meet certain, undisclosed development ...