Uber Expands Autonomous Vehicle Ambitions with Rivian Deal

Ride-hailing giant partners with EV maker to deploy 10,000 self-driving robotaxis by 2028

Mar. 22, 2026 at 4:05pm by Ben Kaplan

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Uber has announced a major deal with electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian, investing $300 million to purchase 10,000 fully autonomous R2 robotaxis for deployment in San Francisco and Miami starting in 2028. The deal includes an option for Uber to buy up to 40,000 additional vehicles beginning in 2030, all of which will be exclusively available on Uber's network.

Why it matters

Uber's partnership with Rivian represents a significant expansion of the ride-hailing company's autonomous vehicle ambitions after it sold off its in-house self-driving unit in 2020. The deal highlights Uber's strategy of leveraging partnerships across the AV ecosystem to bring self-driving capabilities to its core ride-hailing and delivery businesses.

The details

Under the terms of the deal, Uber will make an initial $300 million investment in Rivian and purchase 10,000 of the company's R2 robotaxis, which are scheduled to begin production at Rivian's new Georgia factory. The robotaxis will be equipped with Rivian's self-driving system, which is still in development. Rivian has acknowledged that the autonomous efforts will impact its profitability goals for 2027.

  • Uber and Rivian plan to deploy the 10,000 robotaxis in San Francisco and Miami starting in 2028.
  • Uber has the option to purchase up to 40,000 additional Rivian robotaxis beginning in 2030.

The players

Uber

A leading ride-hailing and delivery company that has been expanding its autonomous vehicle partnerships after selling off its in-house self-driving unit in 2020.

Rivian

An electric vehicle manufacturer that is developing self-driving technology for its R2 robotaxi model, which is scheduled to begin production at its new Georgia factory.

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What they’re saying

“The ChatGPT moment of self-driving cars has arrived. We now know we could successfully autonomously drive cars.”

— Jensen Huang, CEO, Nvidia

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

Uber's partnership with Rivian represents a strategic shift for the ride-hailing company as it looks to integrate autonomous vehicle technology across its delivery and ride-hailing services, highlighting the growing importance of self-driving capabilities in the transportation industry.