Companies Rivian and Uber have announced a new strategic partnership. The agreement involves the joint development and production of up to 50,000 autonomous robotaxis based on the R2 model. The total investment from Uber could reach $1.25 billion, with the first vehicles expected to appear on the roads in 2028.
Partnership Strategy and Investments
Partnerships have always played an important role in Rivian’s business. The most famous example is the production of vans for Amazon. The company also had an unsuccessful alliance with Ford and continues to collaborate with Volkswagen. The new agreement with Uber involves investments of up to $1.25 billion by 2031, aimed at accelerating the development of autonomous vehicles by both companies.
The initial contribution will be $300 million. Through joint efforts, a fully autonomous robotaxi will be created on the platform of the new R2 model. At the first stage, it is planned to deploy 10,000 such vehicles. Their operation will begin in 2028 in Miami and San Francisco.
Scaling Plans
If the initiative proves successful, by the end of 2031 the geography of robotaxi use will expand to 25 cities. The project will not be limited to the USA – the companies mentioned plans for cities in Canada and Europe, although specific names are not yet given.
For scaling in new cities, Uber will receive an option to purchase an additional 40,000 autonomous R2s, starting in 2030. Thus, the total potential fleet size could reach 50,000 vehicles, which will be exclusively available through the Uber platform.
Company Leadership’s Position
We believe in Rivian’s approach – simultaneous design of the vehicle, computing platform, and software, while maintaining full control over scalable manufacturing and supply chains in the USA. Such vertical integration, along with data from their growing consumer vehicle base and experience managing the complexities of commercial fleets, gives us confidence in achieving these ambitious, yet realistic goals, – stated Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership with Uber – it will help accelerate our path to Level 4 autonomy to create one of the safest and most convenient autonomous platforms in the world, – added Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe.
Technological Foundation
The robotaxis will use Rivian’s third-generation autonomous platform, the presentation of which is scheduled for the R2 later this year. The system includes a “multimodal sensor suite”: 11 cameras with 65-megapixel resolution, five radar sensors, and one lidar. They are complemented by two in-house developed RAP1 chips, capable of providing artificial intelligence computing performance at the level of 1600 TOPS.
This agreement marks an important step in the transformation of urban mobility, combining the ambitions of electrification and autonomy. The success of the project will depend not only on the technological reliability of the platform but also on the regulatory environment in each of the planned regions. The partnership could also become a catalyst for further consolidation in the autonomous transportation market, where competition between technology and automotive companies continues to intensify. For Rivian, this is an opportunity to create a new, stable revenue stream to complement sales to private customers.