- A deal between Lucid Motors, Uber and Nuro will convey autonomous Lucid Gravity SUVs to the Uber app.
- Business deployment begins subsequent 12 months in an unnamed U.S. metropolis.
- By means of the deal, Uber will make investments $300 million into the fledgling EV startup and deploy not less than 20,000 of its automobiles.
Tesla is hardly the one electrical automobile maker that is dabbling within the autonomous taxi house. Lucid Motors on Thursday introduced that its three-row Gravity SUV will function a robotaxi on the Uber app beginning subsequent 12 months.
It is a main deal for the fledgling EV startup and the newest step in Uber’s quest to grow to be the last word robotaxi platform.
This is how the partnership will work. For the reason that Gravity does not include autonomous capabilities, driverless expertise might be supplied by Nuro. The startup traditionally centered on growing autonomous supply automobiles however just lately pivoted to licensing its tech to automotive and ride-hailing corporations.
Lucid will set up Nuro’s {hardware}—made up of LiDAR sensors, radars and cameras—into Gravity SUVs on its meeting line in Arizona. Uber and its fleet companions will purchase these SUVs, they usually’ll be obtainable to order completely through the Uber app.
EMBARGO July 17 8:30 AM ET DNP: Lucid Gravity robotaxi
Picture by: Lucid Motors
As a part of the deal, Uber will make investments $300 million into Lucid—huge information for a younger automaker that is nonetheless burning money. Furthermore, Uber and its companions purpose to purchase and deploy not less than 20,000 Lucid automobiles over six years. (The proceeds from these gross sales might be separate from the $300 million preliminary funding, a Lucid spokesperson mentioned.) For context, Lucid offered some 10,000 Air sedans final 12 months, although it expects gross sales to rise this 12 months after the latest introduction of the Gravity.
These Gravity SUVs will hit the Uber app in dozens of markets, the businesses mentioned, beginning with an unnamed “main U.S. metropolis.”
“This funding from Uber additional validates Lucid’s absolutely redundant zonal structure and extremely succesful platform as best for autonomous automobiles, and our industry-leading vary and spacious well-appointed interiors, as best for ridesharing,” Marc Winterhoff, Lucid’s interim CEO, mentioned in an announcement.
A Lucid spokesperson mentioned that the Gravity was designed from the begin to function an autonomous automobile, with redundant braking and steering programs to make sure protected operation even when one thing breaks.
It is the newest in a flurry of robotaxi-related offers from Uber. The ride-hailing large scrapped its in-house effort to develop self-driving automobiles years in the past following a deadly accident, and has since positioned a slew of bets on different gamers, together with industry-leader Waymo.
Waymo’s self-driving Jaguars are completely obtainable through the Uber app in Atlanta, Georgia, and Austin, Texas. Uber has additionally struck related offers with Baidu, WeRide, AVRide, Wayve and Could Mobility.
Plus, a take care of Volkswagen means you might be selecting between an autonomous ID.Buzz or Gravity sometime quickly.
Contact the creator: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com
