Uber and Rivian target 50,000 robotaxis by 2031

Benjamin Müller Benjamin Müller International Editor for ADT, aIT, AP & All-Electr.

23 March 2026 - 16:29

1 min

The first commercial deployments are scheduled for 2028 in San Francisco and Miami.

Rivian

Uber and Rivian are planning a major push into autonomous mobility, with up to 50,000 R2 robotaxis expected to enter service across North America and Europe by 2031.

Uber and Rivian have announced a large-scale partnership to accelerate the deployment of robotaxis. The agreement initially includes the purchase of 10,000 fully autonomous R2 vehicles, with an option to expand the fleet by up to 40,000 additional units by 2030.

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Benjamin Müller

Uber also plans to invest up to 1.25 billion US dollars by 2031, tied to the achievement of defined technological milestones. An initial payment of 300 million US dollars remains subject to regulatory approval.

Commercial rollout and expansion strategy

The first commercial deployments are scheduled for 2028 in San Francisco and Miami. Over time, the service is expected to expand to around 25 cities across the United States, Canada and Europe. The vehicles will be exclusively available via the Uber platform.

Uber–Rivian Robotaxi Partnership: Key Facts

Partners: Uber and Rivian
Vehicle: Rivian R2 (fully autonomous robotaxi)
Initial fleet: 10,000 vehicles
Expansion option: Up to 50,000 vehicles total
Launch cities: San Francisco and Miami (2028)
Expansion: Up to 25 cities in North America and Europe
Investment: Up to $1.25 billion by Uber
Compute platform: RAP1 with up to 1,600 TOPS
Sensors: 11 cameras, 5 radars, LiDAR
Strategic focus: Vertical integration of hardware and software

Rivian positions the partnership as a key step towards advancing its Level 4 autonomy capabilities. The R2 model will feature the company’s third-generation autonomous system, set to launch in late 2026.

Why Rivian’s technology strategy matters

Rivian’s approach is based on vertical integration, combining vehicle development, computing architecture and software into a unified system. According to the company, this enables tighter control over performance, safety and scalability.

The R2 platform will integrate a sensor suite consisting of eleven cameras, five radar systems and LiDAR, supported by Rivian’s in-house RAP1 compute platform delivering up to 1,600 TOPS of AI performance.

Uber sees this integrated approach as a strategic advantage. By combining vertically integrated hardware and software with operational data from existing ride-hailing fleets, both companies aim to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous systems at scale.

This platform strategy is already taking shape. Robotaxis developed by Amazon subsidiary Zoox will soon be bookable via the Uber app, with services set to launch in Las Vegas later this year and Los Angeles following in 2027.

If all milestones are met, thousands of autonomous R2 vehicles could be operating across North America and Europe by 2031.

What to expect at the Mobility + AI Conference 2026

On 14 and 15 April 2026, the Mobility + AI Conference takes place in Munich. Across eight core themes, the event explores the intersection of technology, safety and regulation – from AI-driven automated driving and robotaxis to autonomous logistics, validation, cybersecurity and SDV architectures.