Uber(US:UBER) Hua Er Jie Jian Wen·2025-06-27 02:44Group 1 - Travis Kalanick, the co-founder of Uber, is in preliminary talks to help Uber acquire the U.S. operations of Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai, aiming to counter competition from Waymo and others [1] - If the acquisition is successful, Kalanick would oversee the operations of Pony.ai's U.S. subsidiary, marking his return to Uber after being forced out in 2017 [1] - Pony.ai, founded in 2016, has received permits for robotaxi and truck operations in both the U.S. and China, and went public last year, raising $260 million with a current market valuation of approximately $4.5 billion [1] Group 2 - The negotiations reflect the accelerating impact of autonomous driving technology on traditional ride-hailing models, with increasing competitive pressure on Uber [2] - Waymo, a strong competitor, has expanded its robotaxi services into more cities, potentially eroding Uber's market share, while Uber has established partnerships with around 18 autonomous driving companies under CEO Dara Khosrowshahi [2] - Khosrowshahi aims to deploy as many vehicles as possible on the Uber network, maintaining a mix of human and robot drivers in the coming years [2] Group 3 - Kalanick has shown a growing interest in robotics over the past year, integrating robots into his virtual restaurant startup CloudKitchens and experimenting with automated kitchens [3] - Increased communication between Kalanick and Khosrowshahi over the past year has led to a thawing of their previously strained relationship, focusing on robotics, delivery services, and the rise of autonomous vehicles [3]