Uber will buy 20,000 Lucid Gravity SUVs for its robotaxi fleet

Lucid announced today that its Gravity SUV will be joining Uber's fleet of autonomous robotaxis. Expect to see the first autonomous Gravity units "later next year in a major US city" (that weirdly isn't named).

Uber aims to eventually deploy 20,000 "or more" Lucid vehicles equipped with the Nuro Driver Level 4 autonomy system over six years in dozens of markets around the world. Lucid says the Gravity is a perfect fit for robotaxi operation thanks to its "advanced technology platform, redundant electrical and controls architectures, and long range".

Lucid and Uber promise a "fully integrated robotaxi experience developed for comfort, safety, and scale". The vehicles will be owned and operated by Uber or its third-party fleet partners and will be available exclusively in the Uber app.

The necessary hardware for autonomous operation will be installed onto the Gravity cars on Lucid's assembly line and will subsequently receive Nuro's software when the vehicle is commissioned by Uber.

The first Lucid Gravity robotaxi prototype is already operating autonomously on a closed circuit at Nuro's Las Vegas proving grounds.

Uber plans to make "multi-hundred-million dollar investments" in both Nuro and Lucid.