STORY: :: Lucid
A new robotaxi design was unveiled at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
It’s the product of a partnership between Uber, EV-maker Lucid, and autonomous vehicle technology firm Nuro.
And it joins a growing list of U.S. contenders from companies including Waymo and Tesla.
:: Carbon Shift
The vehicle is built on Lucid’s Gravity electric SUV.
It has a roof-mounted sensor ring with cameras, lidar and radar for full 360-degree coverage.
:: Lucid
Uber created the inside experience, with touch screens that let passengers adjust the temperature, seats and entertainment.
The robotaxi uses Nvidia’s AI driving hardware.
And it’s driven by Nuro’s autonomous tech, meaning it can drive itself in certain conditions without a human.
On-road testing began in December, using engineering prototypes with a safety operator.
David Salguero is Nuro’s head of communications.
:: David Salguero, Head of Communications, Nuro
“We use an AI autonomy foundation model that basically learns as it goes along. So as we’re driving, as we are testing, both on road and in simulations, it gets better and better at driving. So that means we can really quickly deploy it into new places, put it on new types of vehicles for logistics or for robotaxis or even maybe some day for personally owned vehicles.
For Lucid, the robotaxi offers growth beyond regular electric cars for consumers.
The company has been battling slower EV demand and mounting competition.
It recently reported 2025 deliveries slightly above estimates, but production was much higher than sales.
Lucid CEO Marc Winterhoff says the plan is to tap new markets.
:: Marc Winterhoff, CEO of Lucid Group
“Before, we were focusing on B2C customers, you know, the regular cars for you and me, which we still do obviously. But now with that cooperation with Uber and others to come, we’re now opening the robotaxi market for us. So it’s more like expanding the application of our EV technology which has been proven in the last couple of years to be industry leading. And with that cooperation, now we have another market to serve.”
The partnership plan to launch robotaxi services in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year.
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