Nuro secures driverless testing permit before Uber robotaxi rollout

Nuro has received a permit to begin driverless testing of Lucid Motors Gravity SUVs equipped with its autonomous driving technology on public roads in California — vehicles that are expected to support Uber’s premium robotaxi service eventually. However, the Silicon Valley startup, backed by Nvidia and Uber, says it is not yet ready to begin those operations.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles, which oversees the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles in the state, confirmed on Tuesday that it updated Nuro’s driverless autonomous vehicle permit to include Lucid Gravity vehicles.

Nuro has held a driverless permit for six years, although that approval previously applied only to a low-speed delivery vehicle program that the company later discontinued after shifting its business strategy toward licensing its autonomous technology to companies such as Uber.

The newly expanded permit allows Nuro to test Lucid vehicles on public roads without a human safety operator behind the wheel. Nuro spokesperson David Salguero said the company expects to begin driverless testing later this year, though no exact timeline was provided.

The driverless testing permit represents only one of several regulatory milestones Nuro must complete before Uber can officially launch its premium robotaxi service. The company will still need to secure a driverless ride-hailing permit from the California Public Utilities Commission and a deployment permit from the DMV.

At present, Nuro and Uber continue to test the Lucid vehicles in autonomous mode, with a human safety operator seated behind the wheel. Last month, the testing program was expanded to allow Uber employees to request rides in autonomous Lucid robotaxis — while still including a human safety operator onboard — through the Uber platform.

When the three-company partnership was first announced in July 2025, Uber stated it would invest $300 million into Lucid and purchase 20,000 robotaxi-ready Gravity vehicles. The agreement has since expanded to $500 million and a minimum commitment of 35,000 robotaxis, including at least 10,000 Gravity SUVs and 25,000 electric vehicles based on Lucid’s upcoming midsize platform.

These vehicles will feature Nuro’s autonomous driving system, powered by Nvidia’s Drive AGX Thor computer platform. The Lucid Gravity robotaxi, first revealed in January, includes high-resolution cameras, solid-state lidar sensors, and radar systems designed to help the autonomous technology perceive and navigate real-world environments.

Uber has also made a multimillion-dollar investment in Nuro as part of the broader collaboration.

Lucid disclosed during its first-quarter earnings call on Tuesday that it has already delivered 75 engineering vehicles to Nuro and Uber. Testing and mileage-accumulation efforts are currently underway across several cities in the United States.

Lucid also stated on Tuesday that it remains on track to begin commercial robotaxi operations in late 2026. However, those early operations may still include human safety operators or be subject to other limitations, depending on how regulatory approvals progress.

Despite the remaining hurdles, Lucid executives expressed confidence on the earnings call, saying that development work and certification processes continue to progress according to plan.