Uber Targets Houston for 2027 Robotaxi Expansion

The expansion relies on a fleet of Lucid Gravity SUVs retrofitted with Nuro’s self-driving hardware. While testing is currently underway in Houston using safety drivers, the companies are scaling operations behind a 50,000-square-foot depot and charging facility recently established in the city. Production of the robotaxi-ready vehicles is set to ramp up at Lucid’s Arizona factory, providing a critical manufacturing pipeline for the venture.

Uber’s financial commitment underscores the ambition of the rollout. The ride-hailing giant has invested roughly $500 million into both Nuro and Lucid, with a firm agreement to purchase at least 35,000 autonomous-ready vehicles. For Nuro, the partnership marks a pivot toward licensing its software, while for Lucid, the deal offers a path to scale production in a competitive electric vehicle sector dominated by Tesla.