Uber is pushing harder than ever to make robotaxis a normal part of getting around. Starting today, the rideshare giant is officially rolling out autonomous vehicles for customers in Dallas. This launch is part of a partnership with a tech company called Avride.
When you request a ride in Dallas now, you might see one of Avride’s customized Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles pull up to the curb. However, do not expect the car to be empty just yet. Uber is taking a careful approach during this rollout. For the initial phase, a human safety operator will sit in the driver’s seat to monitor the vehicle and take over if necessary. The company says its long-term goal is to remove the person from the driver’s seat entirely and let the computer handle traffic autonomously. While the fleet is small right now, Uber plans to have hundreds of these vehicles serving the city eventually.
Uber also wants to make sure customers actually want this feature before forcing it on them. You can go into your app preferences to indicate that you are interested in trying an autonomous ride. This boosts your chances of the system pairing you with a robotaxi. If the app matches you with an Avride car and you decide you aren’t in the mood for a robot driver, you can reject it and wait for a traditional car instead.
This Dallas launch is just one piece of a much larger puzzle for Uber. Since linking up with Avride in October 2024, the company has aggressively expanded its self-driving network. They are not sticking to a single partner, either. Uber is simultaneously running programs with Waymo in cities like Austin and Atlanta, and working with Lucid Motors in the Bay Area. They have even taken the concept global, partnering with WeRide in Abu Dhabi and Momenta in Europe. It is clear that Uber sees the future of rideshare as driverless, and they are racing to get as many distinct fleets on the road as possible.
