Uber to Back Rivian Robotaxi Plan

“Rivian Automotive is jumping into the autonomous taxi race -- with as much as $1.25 billion in help from Uber.

 

The electric-vehicle company and the ride-share brand announced a partnership Thursday to deploy 10,000 fully autonomous versions of the new Rivian R2 SUV by 2028, starting in San Francisco and Miami. Thousands more of the vehicles could come to as many as 25 cities in the U.S., Canada and Europe by the end of 2031.

 

Uber will invest as much as $1.25 billion in the project if Rivian wins regulatory approval and meets milestones along the way, the companies said. The R2 robotaxis will be exclusively available through Uber's app, the companies said.

 

California-based Rivian is investing heavily in autonomous driving. It has said it would add lidar -- a light-based sensor that helps cars "see" -- to the R2 at the end of 2026.

 

A fully autonomous vehicle, however, would still be a big technological leap for Rivian, which only last year added "hands-free" driving that requires close supervision.

 

Rivian, which posted a net loss of $3.6 billion in 2025, is hoping to achieve long-term profitability despite a U.S. EV downturn with volume sales of the R2. The SUV will debut with a $57,990 model, and more-affordable versions are planned, including a $45,000 model Rivian says will debut late next year.

 

Uber, seeking to lay claim to the robotaxi space as Waymo and Tesla expand their operations, has been striking partnership deals with an assortment of carmakers and autonomous technology companies.

 

Last year, Rivian rival Lucid Group and Uber announced a similar tie-up to deploy 20,000 or more Lucid EVs as robotaxis. The vehicles are expected to launch in a U.S. city later this year.” [1]

 

1. Uber to Back Rivian Robotaxi Plan. Terlep, Sharon.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 20 Mar 2026: B2.