Uber, Lucid and Nuro to Expand Robotaxi Service to Houston

By Connor Hart

Uber Technologies, Lucid Group and Nuro said they are planning to launch their robotaxi service in Houston in 2027, marking the program's first expansion beyond the San Francisco Bay Area, where it is expected to debut later this year.

The companies said Wednesday that they are conducting autonomous on-road testing with safety operators in Houston in preparation for next year's launch.

To support operations, Uber has secured a 50,000-square-foot depot facility and dedicated charging pitstop in Houston. The facilities will serve as a backbone for the autonomous robotaxi program, enabling the companies to manage charging, maintenance, repairs, cleaning and other day-to-day fleet operations at scale, they said.

"Houston marks an important next step in our partnership with Lucid and Nuro as we expand autonomous mobility to more riders throughout the world," said Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's global head of autonomous mobility and delivery.

The companies said they chose Houston as their second launch site because of its scale, trip diversity and clear regulatory framework. Houston is also a familiar market for Nuro, which has maintained a presence in the city since 2019 and previously conducted autonomous operations on its public roads.

Uber, Lucid and Nuro expect to launch their robotaxi service in Houston in mid-2027, with plans to expand the service to dozens of additional markets over the coming years, they said.

Their disclosure came one day after Intel's autonomous driving arm, Mobileye, said it is aiming to launch a robotaxi business next year, set to kick off in a yet-to-be revealed U.S. city.

Write to Connor Hart at connor.hart@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 17, 2026 07:43 ET (11:43 GMT)