Uber and Rivian Partner for 50,000 Robotaxi Fleet

The $1.25 billion deal aims to launch autonomous vehicles in 25 cities by 2031.

Mar. 20, 2026 at 9:28pm by Ben Kaplan

Uber and Rivian have announced a major partnership to deploy up to 50,000 fully autonomous robotaxis over the next decade. The plan centers on Rivian's upcoming R2 electric SUV, which will serve as the basis for the driverless fleet that will operate exclusively on the Uber platform. The first phase will involve 10,000 vehicles, with initial operations expected in San Francisco and Miami starting in 2028. The program is intended to expand to as many as 25 cities across the US, Canada, and Europe by 2031.

Why it matters

This partnership represents a significant push by Uber and Rivian into the rapidly growing robotaxi market, putting them in competition with other industry leaders like Waymo, Zoox, and Tesla. The deal highlights the companies' belief in the future of autonomous mobility and their efforts to make driverless transportation more accessible and convenient for consumers.

The details

Under the $1.25 billion deal, Uber will invest in Rivian to help the automaker reach specific autonomy milestones. The initial $300 million investment is contingent on regulatory approval. If the targets are met, the companies plan to roll out thousands of unsupervised, Level 4 autonomous vehicles in several major cities. Uber also holds an option to purchase up to 40,000 additional vehicles beginning in 2030.

  • The first phase of the partnership will involve 10,000 fully autonomous vehicles, with initial operations expected to begin in San Francisco and Miami in 2028.
  • The program is intended to expand to as many as 25 cities across the US, Canada, and Europe by 2031.

The players

Uber

A multinational ride-hailing company that operates a platform for on-demand transportation.

Rivian

An American electric vehicle manufacturer and automotive technology company.

RJ Scaringe

The CEO of Rivian.

Dara Khosrowshahi

The CEO of Uber.

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What they’re saying

“We couldn't be more excited about this partnership with Uber—it will help accelerate our path to level 4 autonomy to create one of the safest and most convenient autonomous platforms in the world.”

— RJ Scaringe, CEO, Rivian

“We're big believers in Rivian's approach—designing the vehicle, compute platform, and software stack together… gives us conviction to set these ambitious but achievable targets.”

— Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO, Uber

What’s next

The initial $300 million investment by Uber in Rivian is contingent on regulatory approval. If the autonomy targets are met, the companies plan to roll out thousands of unsupervised, Level 4 autonomous vehicles in several major cities.

The takeaway

This partnership between Uber and Rivian represents a significant step forward in the race to bring autonomous mobility to the masses. By combining Rivian's vehicle and technology expertise with Uber's platform and reach, the companies aim to make driverless transportation more accessible and convenient for consumers in major cities across North America and Europe.