Uber and Rivian plan to bring robotaxis to California

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Uber is expanding its role in the robotaxi industry through a new partnership with Rivian, the Irvine-based electric-vehicle maker.Uber and Rivian announced a partnership Thursday that could bring up to 50,000 self-driving R2 vehicles to cities across the U.S., Canada and Europe by 2031.

The Rivian robotaxis would be available exclusively through Uber’s ride-hailing app.The partnership will begin with Uber’s purchase of 10,000 fully autonomous R2s, with the option to purchase 40,000 more in 2030.

Uber’s investment is subject to the achievement of autonomous performance milestones, the companies said in a news release.Uber could invest as much as $1.25 billion in Rivian through 2031.

It already has committed to spending $300 million on the effort.The first robotaxi deployments are planned for San Francisco and Miami in 2028, followed by 23 more cities, the release said.

Business After multiple years of layoffs and negative profits, the electric vehicle maker Rivian reported promising earnings for 2025.The Irvine-based automaker is getting ready to release its cheapest vehicle yet.“We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership with Uber,” Rivian Chief Executive RJ Scaringe said in a statement.

“It will help accelerate our path to level 4 autonomy to create one of the safest and most convenient autonomous platforms in the world.”The R2 is Rivian’s highly anticipated lower-priced SUV, starting at $48,490 for consumers in 2027.Investors hope the more affordable model will boost sales amid declining federal support for electric vehicles.

The company impressed investors with better than expected yearly earnings last month, but has laid off hundreds of employees over the last year.Rivian is just the latest robotaxi partnership for Uber, which has established itself as a key player in the burgeoning market of self-driving cars.Last month, Uber announced a se...