Uber and Avride have announced a strategic partnership aimed at integrating autonomous technology into both delivery and mobility services. This multiyear collaboration will leverage Avride’s delivery robots and autonomous vehicles within the Uber platform, initially focusing on Uber Eats deliveries in select U.S. cities.
The rollout will begin in Austin, Texas, where Avride’s sidewalk robots will handle deliveries through Uber Eats in the coming weeks. This pilot program is expected to expand to Dallas, Texas, and Jersey City, New Jersey, later in 2024. The second phase of the partnership, which focuses on autonomous rides, is set to launch in Dallas in 2025.
Once operational, customers using the Uber Eats and Uber apps may have the option to select deliveries or rides facilitated by Avride’s robots or autonomous vehicles. Avride, which operates autonomous delivery robots in the U.S. and South Korea, is also testing its autonomous vehicles on public roads. The partnership aims to increase the number of Avride delivery robots deployed with Uber Eats to hundreds by 2025, with plans to introduce a robotaxi service soon after.
Avride’s CEO, Dmitry Polishchuk, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, highlighting its potential to enhance the consumer experience. Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, echoed this sentiment, stating that the integration of autonomous mobility and delivery services could benefit both consumers and communities as the partnership scales.
