Lucid Motors announced Tuesday that it is significantly expanding its partnership with Uber to deploy thousands of autonomous vehicles. The luxury electric vehicle manufacturer will now supply 35,000 Lucid Gravity SUVs for Uber’s robotaxi fleet, up from a previous commitment of 20,000 units.
As part of the expanded deal, Uber is increasing its financial commitment to Lucid by $200 million. This adds to the $300 million investment the ride-hailing giant provided last year. The companies are working in tandem with the autonomous delivery startup Nuro, which is developing the self-driving technology integrated into the Lucid fleet.
A leadership shift for the EV maker
Beyond the fleet expansion, Lucid is undergoing a major leadership transition. The company has appointed Silvio Napoli as its new CEO. Napoli joins the automaker after a career spanning more than three decades in the vertical transportation sector, where he previously led one of the world's largest elevator and escalator companies.
Lucid also secured an additional $500 million in funding from an affiliate of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The sovereign wealth fund remains the company’s controlling shareholder.
The robotaxi service, which is currently undergoing beta testing in the San Francisco Bay Area, is initially limited to Uber employees. While these test vehicles currently operate with safety drivers behind the wheel, the long-term plan involves full-scale autonomous deployment across the United States. Uber or designated fleet management partners will retain ownership of the vehicles once they enter active service.
