Uber Partners With Cruise To Launch Self-Driving EV Rides In 2025

In the latest development in electric vehicle (EV) autonomous driving technologies, Uber has announced a new multiyear strategic partnership with Cruise, aiming to bring self-driving EVs to its ride-hailing platform as early as next year.

Under the agreement, Uber customers requesting qualifying rides will have the option to choose a Cruise autonomous vehicle for their trip. The service is projected to launch in a single United States (U.S.) market initially, with plans for expansion in the future.

Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors Co., has been working to rebuild its operations following a setback in October 2023. The company had grounded its fleet after an incident where one of its vehicles struck and dragged a pedestrian, resulting in the suspension of its driverless license in California. However, Cruise has recently resumed testing with safety drivers and is targeting a return to fully autonomous rides later this year.

Notably, it was recently reported that Cruise has just recalled its fleet of 1,194 self-driving cars by resolving its regulatory challenges as it addresses long-standing concerns about unexpected braking issues and concludes a nearly two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Read More: GM’s Cruise Recalls Nearly 1,200 Autonomous Vehicles Amid Safety Concerns

In response to the partnership, Marc Whitten, CEO of Cruise, expressed enthusiasm about working with Uber stating, “Cruise is on a mission to leverage driverless technology to create safer streets and redefine urban life. We are excited to partner with Uber to bring the benefits of safe, reliable, autonomous driving to even more people.”

This partnership adds to Uber’s existing collaborations in the autonomous vehicle space. The company already works with Waymo for driverless rides and recently announced a long-term deal with Aurora, a driverless truck company. Moreover, Uber also had just partnered up with BYD to introduce 100,000 new EVs aimed at Europe and Latin America before expanding to the Middle East, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

While the exact launch location for the Uber and Cruise service has not been disclosed, a Cruise spokesperson suggested it might begin in one of the cities where supervised testing is currently underway: Phoenix, Dallas, and Houston.

As both Uber and Cruise work towards implementing this new service, the partnership marks progress in the integration of autonomous vehicles into mainstream transportation options.

With the ongoing transformation of the ride-hailing industry, an increasing amount of EV automakers continue to explore and adopt autonomous driving technologies will be watched closely by the automotive landscape. 

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