Uber Unveils Its 'Most Luxurious Robotaxi,' in Partnership With Lucid and Nuro

Uber is gearing up to launch its self-driving partnership with autonomous vehicle company Nuro and electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors later this year, and it's using CES to showcase what's in store for future riders.

On Monday, the three companies shared more details about the upcoming Lucid Gravity SUV robotaxi, from its design to the rider experience. The self-driving partnership is slated to kick off in late 2026 in the San Francisco Bay Area before expanding to additional cities.

I got to check out the newly unveiled vehicle in person at CES. As is standard on most autonomous vehicles (AVs), the Lucid Gravity robotaxi is equipped with a sensor suite of cameras, lidar sensors and radars for navigating roads. A roof-mounted display with LEDs shows a rider's initials to help them flag down the right vehicle, similar to what passengers see when hailing a Waymo robotaxi, for example. 

Watch this: Go Inside Uber's 'Luxurious Robotaxi' Collab With Lucid and Nuro

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Uber says this is the first time it's "designing the in-vehicle rider experience." That includes interactive screens that can activate heated seats, control the temperature and play music. There will also be options for contacting support or having the vehicle pull over. (Again, that's similar to what you'll see on other robotaxis from companies like Waymo or Zoox). 

The Lucid Gravity robotaxi can seat up to six passengers, which should be an advantage over vehicles from Waymo and Zoox, which can only fit up to four. The Gravity will also have "generous luggage space," though it's not clear exactly how many bags that might accommodate.

Uber, which has more than a dozen AV partnerships (including one with Waymo) is dubbing the upcoming Lucid AV the "industry's most luxurious robotaxi." That's not surprising, given that the non-self-driving version of the Lucid Gravity starts at around $80,000. (The sole vehicle that currently makes up Waymo's fleet, the Jaguar I-Pace, safely falls in the luxury car category as well.)

Bringing self-driving options to more ride-hailing passengers

Uber, Lucid and Nuro announced their partnership in July. Uber will manage ride-hailing operations, Lucid will manufacture the vehicles and Nuro will equip the self-driving technology. 

While ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft have long since abandoned their standalone self-driving ambitions, they're teaming up with a growing roster of AV companies to establish their presence in the rapidly evolving space. Uber is working with companies like Volkswagen and Avride, while Lyft recently teamed up with Tensor. Both Uber and Lyft have partnerships with Waymo and May Mobility.  For riders, having a self-driving option baked into an app already on their phones can lower the barrier to entry -- and potentially make hopping in a self-driving car more appealing. 

Watch this: This Robotaxi Looks and Drives Like No Car You've Ever Seen Before

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Uber aims to deploy at least 20,000 Lucid vehicles with the Nuro Driver onboard over the next six years and across multiple locations, following this year's San Francisco launch. The companies began autonomous on-road testing, supervised by human operators, in the Bay Area last month.  

"By combining leading expertise in electric vehicles, autonomy and ride-hailing, we're building a unique new option for affordable and scalable autonomous rides in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond," Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's global head of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery, said in a statement.

Production on the Lucid Gravity robotaxi is scheduled to begin later this year at the company's Arizona factory, pending final validation.