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Uber is adding more driverless ride options to its app and is working with General Motors subsidiary Cruise to bring Cruise's Chevy Bolt robotaxis to Uber next year, the companies announced Thursday.
"We believe Uber can play an important role in helping to safely and reliably introduce autonomous technology to consumers and cities around the world," said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in a statement.
The Cruise robotaxis are expected to join Uber for at least a few years as part of the "multiyear" deal. Uber app users may get the option to choose a Cruise robotaxi when requesting a ride, meaning that if robotaxis are on offer in your area, you'll can select a human driver if preferred. Uber and Cruise haven't yet revealed where this service will be available.
Uber has worked with a range of autonomous vehicle firms for nearly a decade now. Back in 2016, Uber tested robotaxis on the streets of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Years later, it revived its autonomous taxi ambitions in 2022 by striking a 10-year deal with Motional, an EV firm backed by Hyundai. Later that year, Uber brought some of Motional's robotaxis to Las Vegas that could be summoned through the Uber app.
Last year, Waymo—which recently revealed it's now completing over 100,000 paid robotaxi rides a month in the US—teamed up with Uber to offer driverless rides in Arizona. This year, it furthered its deal with Uber by announcing its robotaxis would start making Uber Eats deliveries in the state as well.
While Waymo has made a splash across major cities in California, the driverless vehicles haven't become mainstream in many US cities just yet. Some robotaxis haven't always adhered to the rules of the road, either, resulting in dangerous situations and crashes. Last month, police pulled over a driverless Waymo car in Phoenix, Arizona, because it had been driving into oncoming traffic. Amazon's Zoox robotaxis have also been involved in accidents because the SUVs stopped suddenly, resulting in "minor injuries" for those involved and sparking a federal inquiry.
Cruise vehicles have also been involved in a number of crashes in the past few years. Cruise cut its fleet in half after a Cruise robotaxi ran over a woman thrown into its path last year. California’s DMV then suspended Cruise’s permit to test self-driving cars, prompting Cruise to halt all of its robotaxis. Its CEO resigned in November, and the company laid off over 900 employees a month later. Cruise reported $3.48 billion in operating losses last year.
But Cruise's hiatus didn't last long. In May this year, Cruise robotaxis started driving in Phoenix, Arizona—with humans behind the wheel. In June, they returned in Dallas, Texas, and resumed operations in Houston, according to posts on the company's X/Twitter account. While Cruise may now be getting the green light to get back on the road, the existing risks with robotaxis remain.