Uber, Nuro and Lucid Plan to Launch Robotaxi Service This Year

Core Insights - Uber Technologies, Nuro, and Lucid have initiated on-road testing of their robotaxi, with plans to launch the service in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year [1][2] - The companies are showcasing the vehicle at CES, and Nuro's safety framework includes closed-course testing and simulation [2] - Lucid is expected to begin production of the vehicle at its Arizona factory later this year [3] Vehicle Features - The robotaxi, designed by Uber, features roof-mounted LED lights for rider identification, interactive screens for personalizing the ride experience, and in-vehicle visualization [4] - It can accommodate six passengers and their luggage [4] Technology and Partnerships - The robotaxi's high-performance compute is based on Nvidia DRIVE AGX Thor, part of the Nvidia DRIVE Hyperion platform [5] - The partnership aims to create an affordable and scalable autonomous ride option in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, with plans to deploy over 20,000 robotaxis in various markets by 2026 [5] Industry Context - The shift towards autonomous vehicle technology presents challenges for traditional car companies, as scaling a robotaxi service requires significant investment amid high industry costs [6]