This Is Uber’s New Robotaxi From Lucid and Nuro

Uber, Lucid Motors, and Nuro have unveiled the production-intent version of their jointly developed robotaxi at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), with TechCrunch getting an early look ahead of the public reveal.

The vehicle has been under development for more than six months as part of a broader agreement in which Uber invested $300 million in Lucid and committed to purchasing 20,000 electric vehicles from the automaker. The companies said Monday that the robotaxi is already being tested on public roads, with plans to launch a commercial service in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year.

Built on the Lucid Gravity SUV, the robotaxi integrates high-resolution cameras, solid-state lidar sensors, and radar systems into both the vehicle body and a roof-mounted "halo." Nvidia's Drive AGX Thor computer powers the autonomous driving system. The halo also features integrated LED lighting designed to help riders easily identify their vehicle, similar to the lighting used on Waymo's Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis.

Importantly, the autonomous hardware is installed during vehicle assembly at Lucid's Casa Grande, Arizona, factory. This factory-line integration helps reduce time and cost compared with approaches such as Waymo's current process, which involves disassembling and retrofitting vehicles after delivery. Future Waymo vehicles are expected to be more purpose-built for autonomy.

Image Credits: Sean O'Kane

The robotaxi shown at CES represents a refined version of the test vehicles the three companies have shared in press images over the past seven months. One of the most notable additions revealed at the show is the rider interface. The exterior halo includes a small display intended to greet passengers, while the interior features screens designed to manage the ride experience.

Passengers familiar with Waymo will recognise the layout. A rear-seat display shows an isometric, animated view of the robotaxi navigating city streets, with nearby vehicles and pedestrians visible. While the software—developed by Uber—was not yet interactive, it is designed to display estimated arrival time, remaining trip duration, climate and music controls, and buttons for rider support or requesting the vehicle to pull over.

A similar interface appears on the front passenger screen, presented on a larger central touchscreen. In the demo vehicle displayed at the Fontainebleau Hotel, many of these elements were also visible on Gravity's sweeping 34-inch curved OLED display behind the steering wheel.

Uber has positioned this upcoming robotaxi service as a premium offering, choosing the Gravity for its interior space and comfort. The SUV is especially roomy in the two-row configuration shown at CES, though Uber said a three-row version will also be available.

Gravity's first full year on the market was not without challenges. Lucid encountered software issues while ramping up production of the SUV, prompting interim CEO Marc Winterhoff to send an email to customers in December acknowledging their "frustrations." Since then, Lucid appears to have regained momentum, announcing on Monday that it doubled production compared with 2024 and achieved new sales records.

Uber, Lucid, and Nuro said that once final validation of the robotaxi is completed later this year, full production versions will begin rolling off Lucid's Arizona assembly lines. The companies did not provide a specific timeline for the transition to full production.