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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.

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.

Uber Shares Drop 8% as Legal Costs Undercut Profit and Holiday Outlook Disappoints

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Uber’s shares fell 8% on Tuesday after the company reported weaker-than-expected operating profit and issued a cautious outlook for the upcoming holiday quarter. The setback overshadowed otherwise strong growth in both its rides and delivery businesses, which continue to benefit from rising demand and its Uber One membership program.

The ride-hailing giant posted an operating income of $1.11 billion for the third quarter, below analyst expectations of $1.61 billion, according to Visible Alpha. Uber attributed the shortfall to legal and regulatory expenses but did not disclose details. Its guidance for adjusted profit in the fourth quarter — between $2.41 billion and $2.51 billion — also fell short of Wall Street’s projections.

Despite the profit miss, revenue rose 20% year-over-year to $13.47 billion, surpassing analyst estimates of $13.28 billion. Gross bookings climbed to $49.74 billion, beating expectations, driven by a 29% jump in delivery sales and a 20% rise in mobility revenue.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the Uber One program continues to boost customer engagement, noting that users who use both rides and delivery services spend three times more than single-service customers. However, only about 20% of users currently utilize both, leaving significant room for growth.

The earnings disappointment comes despite Uber’s strong year-to-date performance, with its stock up more than 60% before Tuesday’s drop. Investors, however, remain focused on whether the company can sustain profitability while managing mounting legal challenges and regulatory scrutiny.