Uber users in Dallas may soon find themselves riding in an Avride branded robotaxi as the two companies officially begin commercial operations in the city. The launch comes one year after both companies announced their partnership and marks a meaningful step in Uber’s growing autonomous mobility strategy.
The service is starting with a limited fleet and a human safety operator behind the wheel. The companies have confirmed that fully driverless operations will follow in the future along with an expanded service area. The robotaxis will initially operate within a nine square mile zone that includes downtown Dallas.
This launch caps a year of rapid expansion for Uber in the autonomous vehicle sector. The company has built partnerships with twenty autonomous technology firms across freight, delivery and robotaxi services. It currently offers autonomous rides through its app in cities such as Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Atlanta, Austin and Phoenix. Uber plans to have autonomous vehicles active in at least ten cities by the end of 2026 with future launches planned for Arlington, Dubai, London, Los Angeles, Munich and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Avride, a startup based in Austin under the Nebius Group, is one of Uber’s strategic partners and has received investment support. Their collaboration deepened in October 2024 with a multi year agreement that brought Avride’s sidewalk delivery robots and autonomous vehicles to Uber Eats and Uber services. These delivery robots are already operating in Austin, Dallas and Jersey City.
Avride also secured strategic investments and commercial commitments worth three hundred seventy five million dollars from Uber and Nebius this year. The robotaxi rollout is considered a key milestone for both companies as they move further into autonomous mobility.
The robotaxi fleet consists of all electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles equipped with Avride’s self driving system. Over time, the fleet is expected to grow into the hundreds across Dallas. Initially, Avride will manage the fleet while Uber will later take over daily operations including cleaning, maintenance, inspections, charging and depot functions. Uber will provide full rider support from the beginning and Avride will manage vehicle testing.
Riders who request UberX, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric may be matched with a robotaxi, although availability is limited. Users can increase their chance of being matched by adjusting their app settings. Fares will remain the same as human driven rides. When matched with an Avride robotaxi, users can choose to continue or switch to a human driver. Through the app, riders can unlock the vehicle, open the trunk and start their trip once the robotaxi arrives.
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