Uber's Deal Blitz To Stop a Robotaxi Monopoly (businessinsider.com)
(Monday March 23, 2026 @12:30PM (BeauHD)
from the platform-over-everything dept.)
- Reference: 0181080924
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/03/23/0425234/ubers-deal-blitz-to-stop-a-robotaxi-monopoly
- Source link: https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-robotaxi-strategy-deals-partnerships-rivian-waymo-tesla-zoox-2026-3
Uber is aggressively partnering with multiple robotaxi companies to [1]avoid a future dominated by Waymo or Tesla . The ride-hailing giant has struck deals with at least a dozen autonomous vehicle players in recent years. Just last week, it [2]announced a $1.25 billion partnership with Rivian, with plans to deploy up to 50,000 driverless vehicles over the next decade. Business Insider reports:
> Uber announced three new robotaxi partnerships in the past few weeks with Zoox, Wayve-Nissan, and Rivian. In less than half a decade, the company has secured at least a dozen deals, including with WeRide, AVride, May Mobility, Momenta, Pony.AI, Wayve, Baidu's Apollo Go, Motional, and Lucid-Nuro. Still, less than a half-dozen of Uber's partners have deployed fully driverless, paid robotaxi operations, and only one, Waymo, operates in the US. Uber has a joint deployment with Waymo in Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix, but in other cities, Waymo is a competitor.
>
> Uber's partnership spree is less about seeking the singular, dominant player of autonomous driving. Instead, analysts told Business Insider that Uber is ensuring multiple vendors can participate in the expensive business of robotaxis -- fending off the real risk of a Waymo or Tesla scaling on its own -- and giving itself a stake in the robotaxi economy by being the aggregator of choice. "The more diversified the supplier base, the better for the network in the middle, which is Uber," Mark Mahaney, an Uber analyst for Evercore ISI, told Business Insider.
[1] https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-robotaxi-strategy-deals-partnerships-rivian-waymo-tesla-zoox-2026-3
[2] https://www.autoweek.com/news/a70804170/uber-rivian-50000-robotaxis/
> Uber announced three new robotaxi partnerships in the past few weeks with Zoox, Wayve-Nissan, and Rivian. In less than half a decade, the company has secured at least a dozen deals, including with WeRide, AVride, May Mobility, Momenta, Pony.AI, Wayve, Baidu's Apollo Go, Motional, and Lucid-Nuro. Still, less than a half-dozen of Uber's partners have deployed fully driverless, paid robotaxi operations, and only one, Waymo, operates in the US. Uber has a joint deployment with Waymo in Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix, but in other cities, Waymo is a competitor.
>
> Uber's partnership spree is less about seeking the singular, dominant player of autonomous driving. Instead, analysts told Business Insider that Uber is ensuring multiple vendors can participate in the expensive business of robotaxis -- fending off the real risk of a Waymo or Tesla scaling on its own -- and giving itself a stake in the robotaxi economy by being the aggregator of choice. "The more diversified the supplier base, the better for the network in the middle, which is Uber," Mark Mahaney, an Uber analyst for Evercore ISI, told Business Insider.
[1] https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-robotaxi-strategy-deals-partnerships-rivian-waymo-tesla-zoox-2026-3
[2] https://www.autoweek.com/news/a70804170/uber-rivian-50000-robotaxis/
Be the monopoly not be owned by one (Score:2)
by gurps_npc ( 621217 )
Uber wants to be the monopoly not be owned by one.
So they have multiple car companies, rather than be controlled by one car company
auto taxis need liability and not hide under an bi (Score:2)
by Joe_Dragon ( 2206452 )
auto taxis need liability and not hide under an big list of subcontractors
seriously? (Score:2)
Waymo or Tesla? Waymo is so far ahead of Tesla that how can even the most gullible investor think they are every going to catch up?
Re: (Score:2)
I remember when Tesla was a capital P Progressive brand. It's stunning how much the world has turned.
Re: (Score:2)
I agree with you wholeheartedly, however if you're in Uber's position you can't afford to look at the now. The fact is, they attempted to build their own robotaxi and failed, which left them in the position of being a ride-hailer app only. That makes them vulnerable if there is only one player to provide automated taxi services. And so far, Waymo is really the only successful player in this. Tesla on the other hand, as much as I dislike the company has had naysayers against it for many years and while i