Uber is making one of its biggest moves yet in autonomous transport as it plans to invest as much as $1.25 billion in Rivian to build out a large robotaxi fleet over the next five years. The agreement gives Uber or its fleet partners the right to buy 10,000 autonomous Rivian R2 vehicles, which will launch exclusively on the Uber app in San Francisco and Miami in 2028.
If this is successful, the two companies could expand much further, with the option to negotiate for another 40,000 vehicles from 2030. The partnership starts with an initial $300 million investment from Uber, pending regulatory approval. This figure could rise substantially through 2031 if Rivian reaches a series of undisclosed autonomy targets.
The companies said the long-term ambition is to deploy thousands of unsupervised robotaxis across 25 cities in the US, Canada, and Europe by the end of 2031. Investors reacted quickly. Rivian shares jumped in premarket trading, while Uber was broadly flat and Tesla slipped modestly.
Why is Uber doubling down on partnerships?
The deal shows how Uber wants to compete in the robotaxi race without rebuilding its own self-driving division. After selling that unit in 2020, the company shifted to a partnership model, positioning itself as the commercial layer that can connect autonomous vehicles with riders, charging support and local fleet operations.
Uber is trying to become the distribution engine for autonomous transport, letting vehicle makers and technology providers focus on hardware and driving systems while it supplies demand, logistics and platform scale. The company has said it expects robotaxis with partners to be available in 15 markets by the end of 2026, although most large deployments are not expected to ramp until 2027 and beyond.
There is also a financial experiment built into the Rivian deal. By agreeing to purchase some of the vehicles itself, Uber is testing the economics more directly as it explores future financing arrangements with banks and private equity firms that may help fund larger fleets later on.
Rivian gets a major autonomy platform for its R2
For Rivian, the tie-up is more than a fleet order. It strengthens the company’s wider push into self-driving technology at a time when autonomy is becoming central to its future roadmap. Rivian executives have said autonomy is one of the company’s most important priorities, and the upcoming R2 is expected to play a major role in that strategy. Rivian has said the vehicle will carry its in-house autonomy chip, a new lidar sensor, 11 high-definition cameras and five radar sensors starting in 2027.
The company is also building autonomy beyond commercial fleets. Rivian has said it is developing self-driving capabilities for personally owned vehicles, with the longer-term aim of letting cars handle everyday tasks such as airport pickups or school runs. It has also signalled openness to licensing its software to other manufacturers.
Meanwhile, its existing semi-automated driving subscription already offers features such as hands-free supervised driving and commanded lane changes, with auto-parking and ramp-to-ramp functions expected to follow.
A robotaxi market that is getting crowded fast
The Rivian agreement lands as competition in autonomous mobility intensifies. Tesla already has a small robotaxi presence in Austin and testing activity in San Francisco, while Lucid has outlined its own ambitions and is in talks to deepen its relationship with Uber. Waymo and Zoox are also pushing ahead, meaning Uber is building its future in a market that is becoming more crowded, not less.
It is a structured plan to put Rivian-built robotaxis on Uber’s platform across North America and Europe, with clear milestones, an exclusive app arrangement and room for tens of thousands more vehicles. If execution matches ambition, Uber will not just be partnering with autonomous vehicle companies. It will be helping shape how robotaxi fleets are financed, deployed and brought to market.
