Uber has announced plans to invest up to $1.25 billion in electric vehicle maker Rivian as part of a long-term strategy to deploy thousands of fully autonomous robotaxis over the next decade.
The deal, reported by Reuters, signals Uber’s aggressive push into the rapidly evolving autonomous mobility space.
Under the agreement, the company will roll out at least 10,000 self-driving R2 SUVs beginning in 2028, with the vehicles operating exclusively on Uber’s platform.
According to both companies, “should all milestones be achieved,” thousands of unsupervised robotaxis will be deployed across 25 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe by the end of 2031.
Uber will begin with an initial $300 million investment, with the remaining funds tied to Rivian meeting key autonomous driving milestones through 2031.
The robotaxis will be based on Rivian’s upcoming R2 SUV model, with initial rollouts expected in cities such as San Francisco and Miami. Uber also retains the option to purchase up to 40,000 additional vehicles from 2030.
Beyond Rivian, Uber is positioning itself as a central marketplace for autonomous mobility, maintaining partnerships with major industry players, including Waymo, Baidu, Lucid Motors, and Nvidia, to power AI-driven systems.
Globally, interest in driverless taxis has surged as companies accelerate investments in artificial intelligence and autonomous driving to reduce operational costs and improve efficiency. Industry giants like Tesla and Waymo have significantly expanded their deployments in recent months.
However, this global technological push stands in sharp contrast to developments in Nigeria, where drivers operating on platforms such as Uber, Bolt, and InDrive are currently on a three-day strike demanding better pay and improved working conditions.
The strike, led by the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria, began on Sunday, with union leaders warning of further escalation if their concerns are not addressed.
AUATON Vice President (South West), Aina Kolawole, said repeated efforts to engage the companies had failed, leaving drivers with no option but to take action.
“Before now, we have written series of letters to all of them (Uber, Bolt, and InDrive), they acknowledged our letters, but that was where it ended,” he said, adding that the union may proceed to picket company offices.
Similarly, Lagos State Chairman of AUATON, Jaiyesimi Azeez, highlighted the economic strain facing drivers.
“These people will tell the public that we are making N200,000 per day, which is far from the reality. A lot of us cannot even fuel our car,” he said.
In response, Uber maintained that it remains open to dialogue but did not directly address the drivers’ demands, stating that drivers remain central to its platform and that the company is committed to ongoing engagement.
While Uber’s robotaxi rollout is currently limited to North America and Europe, the development raises long-term questions about the future of ride-hailing jobs globally.
For now, Nigerian drivers continue to grapple with rising fuel prices, high platform commissions, and economic uncertainty—challenges that have only intensified following recent petrol price increases linked to global oil market disruptions.
The contrast is stark: as Uber accelerates toward a driverless future abroad, human drivers at home are fighting to sustain their livelihoods today.
