August 23, 2024
Uber and Cruise, the self-driving division of General Motors, have partnered to provide Cruise's robotaxis on Uber's platform beginning in 2025.
The recently rapidly growing Cruise company was forced to temporarily suspend operations in October 2023 after a dramatic accident in which one of its cars pulled a pedestrian several meters in San Francisco. The company is getting ready to begin fully driverless operations and has just started reintroducing its cars with safety drivers.
Similar agreements that Uber has reached with other autonomous driving startups are being followed by this relationship with Cruise. For example, from fall of 2023, Waymo's cars have been accessible through the Uber app in Phoenix. According to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, businesses wishing to commercialize autonomous vehicles will find their company to be a perfect partner. The author highlights that Uber's technology and current clientele offer substantial benefits, negating the need for these businesses to incur expenses related to developing proprietary marketplace solutions.
In order to get its operating permits back after the accident, Cruise is presently collaborating closely with regulators. This includes recalling 1,194 cars to fix a safety issue and paying a fine to California officials. Uber, meantime, has increased the number of partnerships it has made in the autonomous vehicle industry. In the autonomous trucking market, it has partnered with Waabi and Aurora Innovation, while in the food delivery industry, it has partnered with Nuro, Serve Robotics, and Cartken.
These developments demonstrate Uber's goal to become the industry leader in autonomous ride-hailing services, while Cruise wants to reenter the market by relaunching its robotaxis.