Self-driving car company Cruise, which is backed by General Motors, will introduce its robotaxis to Uber in 2025 as part of the recently-announced partnership between the two companies.
When this “multiyear strategic partnership” launches, Uber users will get an extra option in their app to select a ride in a Cruise autonomous vehicle based on GM’s Chevy Bolt model. It is unclear where this new offering will debut.
The news doesn’t come as a surprise considering that Uber has been working hard to introduce autonomous vehicles to its platform. The ride-sharing company previously partnered with Alphabet’s Waymo to offer robotaxi services in Phoenix, Arizona.
“As the largest mobility and delivery platform, we believe Uber can play an important role in helping to safely and reliably introduce autonomous technology to consumers and cities around the world,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to partner with Cruise and look forward to launching next year.”
Partnership with Uber comes at a time when Cruise is struggling with approvals to get its autonomous vehicles on the road.
The company received approval for providing robot axis in San Francisco, California, in August 2023 but had the permit revoked just a month later due to one of its cars being involved in a crash. Additionally, Cruise was recently forced to recall around 1,200 robotaxis due to hard braking issues.