Uber said on Tuesday it aims to deploy 100,000 self-driving vehicles on its ride-hailing platform, working with US chipmaker Nvidia to supply the computing systems that will power them. Car manufacturers involved are Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, Lucid, and possibly others.
Nvidia’s new autonomous driving platform, Drive AGX Hyperion 10, will be installed in vehicles from multiple manufacturers. The companies did not say when they expect to reach the 100,000-vehicle target, but the first cars equipped with the new hardware are expected to be available in 2027.
At least 5,000 of the initial robotaxis will come from Stellantis, according to Uber. German automaker Mercedes-Benz and US electric vehicle maker Lucid are also developing cars compatible with Nvidia’s new system.
Stellantis deal
“Stellantis today announced a new collaboration with Nvidia, Uber Technologies, Inc., and Foxconn to explore the joint development and future deployment of Level 4 (driverless) autonomous vehicles for robotaxi services worldwide,” says a press release from the car manufacturer.
“This initiative marks significant progress in Stellantis’ global robotaxi strategy, following its recently announced agreement with Pony.ai to test autonomous vehicles in Europe. Together, these efforts position Stellantis to play a significant role in the transition toward safe, efficient, and sustainable autonomous transportation.”
Uber plans to deploy Stellantis autonomous vehicles in select cities worldwide, starting with 5,000 units, with initial operations beginning in the United States. Pilot programs and testing are expected to ramp up over the coming years, with Start of Production (SOP) targeted for 2028.
Stellantis will design, engineer, and manufacture autonomous vehicles based on its LCVs and STLA Small AV-Ready Platforms, integrating Nvidia Drive AV software to enable Level 4 driverless capabilities. Nvidia will provide its AV software, including L4 Parking and L4 Driving capabilities based on the Nvidia Drive AGX Hyperion 10 architecture.
Foxconn will collaborate with Stellantis on hardware and systems integration, and Uber will operate the robotaxi services, expanding its fleet with Stellantis-built vehicles integrating Nvidia Drive AV software.
The non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishes the framework for future agreements covering technology development, licensing, production, and vehicle procurement. Each company retains the flexibility to pursue additional collaborations in the autonomous driving space.
Comments
Antonio Filosa, CEO, Stellantis, commented: “Autonomous mobility opens the door to new, more affordable transportation choices for customers. We have built AV-Ready Platforms to meet growing demand, and by partnering with leaders in AI, electronics, and mobility services, we aim to create a scalable solution that delivers smarter, safer, and more efficient mobility for everyone.”
Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO, Nvidia, reacted: “Level 4 autonomy isn’t just a milestone for the auto industry, it’s a leap in AI capability. The vehiclebecomes a robot, one that sees, perceives, plans, and drives with superhuman precision. By combining Stellantis’ global scale with Nvidia Drive and Foxconn’s system integration, we’re creating a new class of purpose-built robotaxi fleets – making transportation safer, more accessible, and more affordable for everyone.”
Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO, Uber, concluded: “Nvidia is the backbone of the AI era and is now fully harnessing that innovation to unleash L4 autonomy at enormous scale, with Stellantis among the first to integrate Nvidia’s technology for deployment on Uber. We are thrilled to work with Stellantis to bring thousands of their autonomous vehicles to riders
around the world.”
Fierce competition in sight
Uber said earlier this year it plans to become a robotaxi operator, potentially competing with its own human drivers. It intends to roll out at least 20,000 autonomous SUVs built by Lucid across several countries within six years. In July, Uber invested some $300 million in shares of Lucid.
Alphabet’s Waymo already offers trips via the Uber platform in several US cities, and Uber plans to add vehicles from Volkswagen and, for markets outside the US, from Chinese tech firm Baidu. Uber halted its in-house self-driving development several years ago following a fatal crash during testing.
Inhabitants of San Francisco, for example, know the Waymo Jaguar iPace robotaxis already for years. Waymo is the first competitor in this developing AV sector, having already some 2,000 vehicles on the road in 5 American cities in 2025.
And the competition keeps on growing. Last June, Tesla inaugurated its first robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. Zoox, an Amazone daughter, launched a four-seater autonomous vehicle without driver or steering post on the main road artery of Las Vegas, and plans to do the same in San Francisco.
