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Lucid, Nuro and Uber Unveil Robotaxi Ahead of Planned 2026 Launch

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Lucid Group, Nuro and Uber on Monday unveiled a production-intent robotaxi at the Consumer Electronics Show, marking a major step toward commercial deployment later this year.

The trio said on-road testing began in December, led by Nuro using safety-supervised engineering prototypes. A commercial launch is planned for the San Francisco Bay Area, with production expected to start later this year at Lucid’s Arizona factory, pending final validation.

The robotaxi is based on Lucid’s Gravity electric SUV and features a roof-mounted sensor “halo” combining cameras, lidar and radar for 360-degree perception. The vehicle runs Nuro’s Level 4 autonomous driving system and uses Nvidia’s DRIVE AGX Thor computing platform.

For Uber, the project reinforces its strategy of partnering with autonomous tech developers rather than owning self-driving systems. For Lucid, it represents a push to diversify beyond consumer EVs amid slowing demand and rising competition.

The unveiling places the partnership alongside other U.S. robotaxi efforts from Waymo and Tesla as the race to commercialize autonomous ride-hailing accelerates.

AI and Self-Driving Technology Take Center Stage at CES as Automakers Pull Back on EVs

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Autonomous driving and artificial intelligence are set to dominate the agenda at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, as automakers scale back electric vehicle plans and look to AI-driven technologies as their next growth engine.

With EV demand cooling amid policy changes under Donald Trump and rising costs, most major automakers are skipping new EV launches at CES this year. Instead, suppliers and startups are expected to showcase advances in self-driving hardware, software and AI-powered driver assistance.

Industry leaders say investor attention is shifting toward autonomy. Recent moves — including limited robotaxi launches by Tesla and rapid expansion by Waymo — have renewed optimism after years of safety incidents, heavy spending and regulatory hurdles.

AI will feature prominently beyond vehicles, powering robots, wearables and smart devices. Keynote speakers include Jensen Huang of Nvidia and Lisa Su of Advanced Micro Devices.

Cost pressures remain a major concern. Automakers are absorbing higher tariffs and facing intensifying competition from Chinese rivals, prompting a sharper focus on efficiency and capital discipline as they bet that AI and autonomy — not EVs — will define the industry’s next phase.

Grab to Invest $60 Million in Remote Driving Startup Vay as It Eyes Autonomous Future

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Grab Holdings announced on Monday that it will invest $60 million in Vay Technology, a remote driving startup, as part of its strategy to expand into autonomous vehicle services. The news sent Grab’s shares up more than 6% in premarket trading.

The Singapore-based company said the investment aligns with its long-term vision to blend traditional ride-hailing with emerging autonomous and remote driving technologies.

“The future of mobility in Southeast Asia will be a hybrid model that relies on the expertise of our driver-partners alongside autonomous vehicles and remote driving services,” said Grab CEO Anthony Tan.

Under the terms of the deal, Grab could invest up to $350 million more within the first year if Vay meets certain milestones — including growth in consumer revenue, expansion across U.S. cities, advancements in technology and safety standards, and additional regulatory approvals.

Vay Technology, founded in Germany and headquartered in the U.S., operates a unique “teledriving” model, where human operators remotely steer vehicles to customers, who then drive the cars themselves. The firm launched its first commercial service in Las Vegas in January 2024, marking a major step toward scalable remote mobility solutions.

Grab’s move underscores the growing race among ride-hailing giants like Uber and Lyft to integrate autonomous and semi-autonomous technologies into their fleets — a shift that could redefine the global mobility industry over the next decade.