Uber simply introduced a deal at the moment with the corporate that runs one of many largest robotaxi fleets in China, because the ridehail big nears its purpose of turning into the world’s final autonomous car clearinghouse.
Uber and Baidu mentioned they’re teaming as much as deploy robotaxis in international locations exterior the US and China, with an preliminary give attention to Asia and the Center East. Baidu is at the moment testing autos in Dubai and has additionally mentioned it desires to finally launch in Europe.
Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxi division operates roughly 1,000 autos globally, most of which function in China. The corporate mentioned it accomplished 1.4 million paid journeys in its driverless autos within the first quarter of 2025, which is a 75 p.c improve yr over yr.
Ever since abandoning its personal efforts to develop autonomous car expertise, Uber has stepped up its effort to strike offers with a wide range of firms, from robotaxi leaders like Waymo to supply robotic operators like Serve and Avride. The corporate has mentioned it desires to make use of its attain and scale to assist autonomous autos proliferate throughout the globe. And it doesn’t need to simply work with a number of AV operators — it desires to work with all of them.
Uber doesn’t need to simply work with a number of AV operators — it desires to work with all of them
“We need to work with all of the software program suppliers,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi mentioned in a Decoder interview in Might, “be sure they’re secure and inexpensive, and produce them to market.”
The “ensuring they’re secure and inexpensive” is actually a very powerful half. If riders belief Uber — and for essentially the most half, prospects do appear to belief the corporate to ship them a automobile when wanted — then it stands to motive they’ll lengthen that belief to incorporate autonomous autos, if and when Uber decides to ship them a robotaxi. That’s what’s occurring proper now in Austin and Atlanta, the place Uber’s partnership with Waymo serves as a preview of what’s the come: human-driven Uber autos working alongside driverless Waymo ones, all inside the similar app.
Along with Baidu, Uber has partnerships with Waymo, Motional, Avride, Might Mobility, Momenta, Volvo, Volkswagen, Wayve, and WeRide for self-driving vehicles; Serve, Coco, Cartken, and Nuro for supply robots; Aurora and Torc for freight; and Avomo and Moove Vehicles for fleet administration.
Uber’s choice to play properly with all these firms in all probability received’t come on the expense of future ruthlessness. Uber is aware of it’ll additionally must finally compete with robotaxis, particularly in markets like San Francisco the place Waymo is rising by leaps and bounds. Clients have to make use of Waymo’s personal app in SF, and a few stories recommend that Waymo has already captured almost a 3rd of the ride-hailing market in that metropolis, which interprets into misplaced income for Uber.
One of many massive names lacking from that listing of collaborators is Tesla. Elon Musk’s firm just lately launched a restricted, supervised, private robotaxi service in Austin, and he has mentioned he desires to increase to California and Arizona within the months to come back. Khosrowshahi mentioned on Decoder that he sees Tesla as a competitor, albeit a minor one with “much less demand.” And he has questions on Tesla’s camera-only notion system that doesn’t embody redundant sensors like lidar.
“From my standpoint — and that is judgment — you really want superhuman security,” Khosrowshahi mentioned. “Superhuman, to me, doesn’t imply higher than a human. It means 5 instances higher than a human. I believe the information means that Waymo is round that stage. It’s not 100% clear to me whether or not camera-only can get there.”
One of many massive names lacking from that listing is Tesla
As a monetary transfer, Uber’s effort to swallow the world of autonomous autos is a brilliant one. The corporate reaps the advantages of deploying robotaxis on its app — a share of fare income, optimistic affiliation with a futuristic expertise — with out having to shoulder the large prices of growing the tech and the software program wanted to energy the autos.
After all, Uber was as soon as closely invested within the thought of constructing its personal self-driving vehicles. However the challenge blew up spectacularly, with allegations of commerce secret theft and patent infringement, in addition to a 2018 crash that killed a pedestrian in Arizona.
However that impulse didn’t utterly fade away — not less than not for Uber founder and ex-CEO Travis Kalanick. Recall that is the man who framed the race to develop AVs as an “existential phrases” pursuit for Uber. After he was ousted from the corporate in 2017, Kalanick constructed up a ghost kitchens startup, however his sight by no means really strayed from the unique dream of proudly owning a fleet of robotaxis. Now he’s attempting to purchase Pony.ai, a self-driving automobile firm that’s largely primarily based in China. And in keeping with The New York Instances, Uber may assist him finance the deal.
However underneath Khosrowshahi’s management, Uber is generally centered on offers and partnerships. Robotaxi operators are teaming up with Uber as a result of that’s the place all the purchasers exist. Who desires to spend all their time constructing a ridehail app from the bottom up when Uber already has one which’s utilized in most international locations the world over?
The newest cope with Baidu reveals how Uber’s aggressive world enlargement will pay dividends. China has its personal guidelines, but when Uber can show that it may possibly play cooperatively with among the nation’s greatest firms, that might assist Baidu and different Chinese language companies with world ambitions discover their means into new markets. And that might work out equally nicely for Uber — if no more so.
