Uber and Rivian have announced a new partnership focused on autonomous ride-hailing, with Uber planning to invest up to US$1.25 billion in the electric vehicle maker as part of a broader robotaxi strategy.
The agreement includes plans to deploy thousands of fully autonomous Rivian vehicles on Uber’s platform over the coming years, beginning later this decade.
The deal is centered around Rivian’s upcoming R2, a smaller and more affordable electric SUV that launches in the U.S. later this spring. Uber plans to roll out 10,000 autonomous versions of the R2 starting in 2028, with the first deployments expected in San Francisco and Miami, also eventually reaching Canada.
If things go according to plan, that number could grow significantly, with Uber holding the option to purchase up to 40,000 additional vehicles beginning in 2030.
“Should all milestones be achieved, the companies will have deployed thousands of unsupervised Rivian R2 robotaxis across 25 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe by the end of 2031,” the companies said.
Uber’s financial commitment will be rolled out in stages. An initial US$300 million investment is expected once the deal closes, with the remaining funding tied to Rivian hitting key autonomous development milestones through 2031.
Rivian, best known for its R1T pickup and R1S SUV, has been quietly building out its autonomy stack. The company recently unveiled its own in-house chip and has been developing a vertically integrated approach that combines hardware, software, and manufacturing under one roof.
