All posts tagged: Robotaxi

First look at Tesla Cybercab’s steering: a Cybertruck wheel bolted on

First look at Tesla Cybercab’s steering: a Cybertruck wheel bolted on

Published by Miika Tikkanen

A pre-production Tesla Cybercab was spotted parked on a street in Berkeley, California, and it gives us the clearest look yet at how Tesla puts a steering wheel into a car it designed to have none. The photos, shared with Electrek by reader Adam Machacek, show a Cybertruck steering wheel mounted on an exposed steering column that has been bolted into the two-seat robotaxi. A car built with no wheel, driving on a borrowed one Tesla unveiled the Cybercab in October 2024 as a purpose-built robotaxi with no steering wheel, no pedals, and no mirrors. That is the whole pitch. It is a two-seater meant to drive itself and nothing else, and Tesla says it will cost less than $30,000. The company started rolling steering-wheel-less units off the line at Giga Texas earlier this year, and we have been tracking the strange spectacle of Tesla mass-producing a car it cannot yet sell or drive itself at scale outside of small geo-fenced areas. But the vehicles Tesla is actually testing on public roads are a different …

Travis Kalanick’s Atoms might be getting into the robotaxi business

Travis Kalanick’s Atoms might be getting into the robotaxi business

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Earlier this summer, Travis Kalanick’s Atoms announced a $1.7 billion funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. But even after raising that mega round, the Uber founder remained a bit cagey about what he was actually aiming to do. Now a story in the Financial Times offers more details about Atoms’ goals. The startup is reportedly preparing for a hiring spree, as well as acquisitions, that could make it a major player in the autonomous vehicle industry. In fact, the FT said Atoms has talked to Uber about how the ride-hailing company could use the startup’s robotaxi technology. (Uber has already partnered with a long list of autonomous vehicle companies.) The report also noted that Uber has invested $100 million in Atoms — a figure previously confirmed by TechCrunch. While sources emphasized that robotaxis don’t represent the entirety of Atoms’ plans, this direction seems consistent with Kalanick’s description of the round as “unfinished business.” It also fits with Atoms’ acquisition of Pronto, an autonomous mining startup led by Uber’s former self-driving chief Anthony Levandowski. (Levandowski was …

May Mobility Aims to Expand Robotaxi Operations Overseas Through New Partnership

May Mobility Aims to Expand Robotaxi Operations Overseas Through New Partnership

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Self-driving tech company May Mobility is looking to bring its robotaxis to new international markets by teaming up with Chinese ride-hailing service CaoCao. The partnership, announced Wednesday, aims to bring “large-scale commercialization of robotaxi services” to more locations, starting in Europe. As part of the agreement, the two companies will look into expanding commercial robotaxi operations and launch pilot programs in “key markets, including Europe.” CaoCao will own the robotaxi fleet and operate services such as vehicle support and maintenance, while May Mobility’s autonomous driving tech will power the self-driving fleet.  May Mobility has previously partnered with ride-hailing companies Lyft and Uber to bring its robotaxis to cities including Atlanta and, soon, Arlington, Texas. Earlier this year, May Mobility expanded into Japan and says it’s completed more than half a million commercial autonomous rides in the US and Japan. It currently uses hybrid-electric Toyota Sienna minivans equipped with its self-driving technology and aims to announce a new third-party vehicle platform later this year. May Mobility’s autonomous vehicle system relies on multi-policy decision making technology. The company says …

Inside Waymo’s New Ojai Robotaxi: More Space, Sliding Doors and Smarter AI

Inside Waymo’s New Ojai Robotaxi: More Space, Sliding Doors and Smarter AI

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Waymo’s self-driving vehicles have been roaming the streets in more than a dozen cities. Now, the company is opening the doors of its newest fleet to select passengers. Called the Ojai (pronounced like “Oh, hi”), the modified Zeekr vehicles are boxier and more spacious than the Jaguar I-Pace that Waymo has been using over the last few years. The Ojai has a flat floor, more legroom and higher ceilings, as well as dual-sliding doors that give you more room when entering and exiting the car. Overall, it feels a lot like a roomy van on the inside. The Ojai is equipped with the sixth-generation Waymo Driver, which is designed to handle harsher weather conditions, including snow — meaning it’ll be easier for Waymo to expand to more cities. The sixth-generation self-driving tech can detect more details and gauge objects in a variety of lighting and weather conditions, according to Waymo. Watch this: Testing Waymo’s Safe Exit Feature in a Self-Driving Taxi 05:29 Fully autonomous rides in the Ojai are opening up starting in San Francisco, Los …

Nuro secures California driverless permit for Lucid Gravity Uber robotaxis

Nuro secures California driverless permit for Lucid Gravity Uber robotaxis

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Nuro has received a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to test its Lucid Gravity SUVs without a human safety driver on public roads — a critical milestone before the company can launch Uber’s planned robotaxi service later this year. The updated permit covers testing in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties at speeds up to 45 mph, day or night, clearing the way for fully driverless testing of the vehicles that Uber plans to deploy in a fleet of at least 35,000 robotaxis. From safety drivers to fully driverless The permit marks a significant upgrade from Nuro’s current testing operations. Since April, Uber employees have been able to request Lucid Gravity robotaxi rides through the Uber app in the Bay Area, but those rides have all operated with safety drivers behind the wheel. Now, Nuro can begin removing the safety driver entirely — at least in testing. The Lucid Gravity vehicles are equipped with high-resolution cameras, solid-state lidar, and radar sensors, all running on Nuro’s autonomous driving stack built on NVIDIA’s …

Uber increases stake in WeRide as robotaxi partnership ramps up in Dubai

Uber increases stake in WeRide as robotaxi partnership ramps up in Dubai

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle company WeRide have launched robotaxi operations without a human safety operator in Dubai as part of a broader expansion in the Middle East. Riders can now book the vehicles through Uber’s app, with operations in commercial and industrial districts like Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Investment Park Second, and Jabal Ali Industrial First, as well as suburban areas and the maritime trading hub Al Hamriya Port. The service is operated locally by Tawasul, a mobility and fleet operator in the United Arab Emirates. The companies first introduced robotaxis to Dubai in December under a pilot program, but didn’t charge for rides and still had a human safety operator on board. The government’s Roads and Transport Authority issued a driverless vehicle trial permit to the companies last month. The deployment signals an escalation in WeRide’s robotaxi operations in the region. It also coincides with Uber’s increased stake in the company. Uber now holds a 5.82% stake in WeRide, according to documents filed Monday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The equity stake …

Uber May Soon Let You Book a Zoox Robotaxi in Las Vegas and LA

Uber May Soon Let You Book a Zoox Robotaxi in Las Vegas and LA

Published by Miika Tikkanen

No steering wheel, no pedals, no problem. Zoox announced Wednesday that it’s partnering with Uber to make its robotaxis available on the ride-hailing company’s app in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, pending US government approval. The multiyear partnership, announced by Zoox and Uber on Wednesday, would enable Uber customers to get rides on Zoox robotaxis in Vegas this summer and in LA in 2027. After the partnership launches, the app will match riders with robotaxis on eligible trips, Uber said in a statement. Zoox will also offer rides on its robotaxis through its own app, so customers can use either the Uber or Zoox app to ride in the vehicles. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi called Zoox an “ideal partner” in a statement. “The Zoox robotaxi is unlike any other vehicle on the planet — it was purpose-built from the ground up to deliver an extraordinary experience,” Khosrowshahi said. “Zoox’s commitment to safety and their advanced autonomous driving technology make them an ideal partner. We’re thrilled to work together to introduce more riders to the future of …

This is Uber’s new robotaxi from Lucid and Nuro

This is Uber’s new robotaxi from Lucid and Nuro

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Uber, Lucid Motors, and Nuro have revealed the production-intent version of their collaborative robotaxi at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show, and TechCrunch got a sneak peek ahead of the reveal. It’s a vehicle that’s been in the works for more than half a year now, part of a deal that saw Uber invest $300 million into Lucid and commit to buying 20,000 of the company’s EVs. On Monday, the companies said the robotaxi is already being tested on public roads ahead of a planned commercial service launching in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year. Based on the Lucid Gravity SUV, the robotaxi has high-resolution cameras, solid state lidar sensors, and radars integrated into the body and the roof-mounted “halo.” The autonomy package is powered by Nvidia’s Drive AGX Thor computer. That halo also has integrated LED lights that will help riders identify their vehicle (similar to how Waymo’s Jaguar I-Pace SUVs work). Crucially, all of this extra tech is added to the Gravity as it’s being built at Lucid Motors’ Casa Grande, Arizona …