Uber is rapidly scaling its autonomous ride-hailing ambitions, announcing a second U.S. market in Houston and a new global partnership to develop Level 4 driverless vehicles. The moves sent shares of electric-vehicle maker Lucid and automaker Stellantis higher.
Houston expansion with Lucid and Nuro
Lucid Group, ride-hailing giant Uber, and self-driving startup Nuro revealed Houston as the second target city for their robotaxi program, following a planned launch in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year. A commercial service in Houston is targeted for mid-2027, with broader goals to scale to dozens of cities and deploy at least 35,000 Lucid vehicles over six years. Under the deal struck in July 2025, Uber committed to using the Lucid Gravity SUV and a future midsize model, all equipped with Nuro’s autonomous driving technology.
Lucid stock jumped around 4% on the news, though it remains down roughly 60% over the past year. Nuro already operates nearly 100 autonomous test vehicles 24/7 across California and Texas, including established Level 4 operations in Houston. Uber has secured a 50,000-square-foot depot in Houston with 40 fast chargers and 15 maintenance bays, breaking ground in early 2027. Nuro holds California DMV driverless testing and CPUC pilot permits, while employees have been taking test rides since April.
Global deal with Stellantis and Wayve
Separately, Stellantis, Uber, and UK-based AI firm Wayve signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to develop and deploy Level 4 robotaxis across major global markets. Stellantis will build vehicles on its L4-Ready Platforms with integrated sensors, Wayve will supply the driving software, and Uber will connect riders via its mobility platform. The framework targets cities in Europe, North America, and beyond, building on an existing L2++ assistance deal between Stellantis and Wayve, and another Uber-Wayve rollout planned for London, Tokyo, and ten other cities this year. Stellantis stock rose 1.05% to $6.71 in midday trading.
Both partnerships underscore Uber’s push to integrate vehicle manufacturing, autonomy software, and ride-hailing logistics under its Uber Autonomous Solutions unit, launched in February. The Lucid program is bolstered by a recent $750 million fundraise, including $550 million from Saudi Arabia’s PIF and $200 million from an Uber subsidiary. PIF also backs both Lucid and Uber. Nuro’s backers include SoftBank Vision Fund, Sequoia Capital, and T. Rowe Price.
