Avride Robotaxi Service Launches in Dallas
Uber customers in Dallas may soon have the option to hail an Avride-branded robotaxi for their next ride. After a year of collaboration, Uber and Avride have officially launched a commercial robotaxi service in Dallas. However, this service comes with some limitations, such as the requirement of a human safety operator behind the wheel and a restricted operating area. The companies have indicated that fully driverless operations, without a safety operator, will be implemented in the future, along with an expansion of the service area.
Throughout the past year, Uber has been actively engaging in partnerships with various autonomous vehicle technology companies, including Waymo, WeRide from China, and Nuro from San Francisco. With a total of 20 partnerships in place across different sectors such as freight, delivery, and robotaxis, some of these collaborations are already operational. For instance, Uber has integrated autonomous vehicles into its ride-hailing app in cities like Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix.
Looking ahead, Uber aims to have autonomous vehicles operating in at least 10 cities by the end of 2026, with plans to introduce AVs on its app in locations like Arlington, Texas, Dubai, London, Los Angeles, Munich, and the San Francisco Bay Area over the next two years. Many of these partnerships involve investments from Uber, including the agreement with Avride, an Austin-based startup under the Nebius Group.
Back in October 2024, Uber finalized a multi-year deal with Avride to incorporate its sidewalk delivery robots and autonomous vehicles into both Uber Eats and Uber platforms. Shortly after, Avride’s sidewalk robots began delivering food through the Uber Eats app in cities like Austin, Dallas, and Jersey City. This fall, Avride secured substantial investments and commercial commitments totaling $375 million from Uber and Nebius, the parent company of Avride.
Avride’s All-Electric Robotaxi Fleet in Dallas
The latest development sees the introduction of Avride’s all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxi fleet equipped with Avride’s self-driving technology. These vehicles will initially operate within a 9-square-mile area in downtown Dallas, with plans for expansion in the near future. The fleet is expected to grow to hundreds of robotaxis across Dallas in the coming years.
Similar to Uber’s partnership with Waymo in Austin and Atlanta, Avride will manage its fleet initially, while Uber will assume daily fleet operations, including maintenance, cleaning, inspections, charging, and depot management. Uber will also provide end-to-end rider support, while Avride will oversee vehicle testing.
Uber riders utilizing services like UberX, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric may have the opportunity to be matched with an Avride robotaxi. While the match is not guaranteed, riders can adjust settings in the Uber app to increase their chances of getting a robotaxi ride. Pricing for robotaxi rides will be on par with those operated by human drivers.
Upon receiving a notification of being matched with an Avride robotaxi, riders can choose to accept or opt for a traditional human-driven ride. Once the robotaxi arrives, riders can utilize the Uber app to unlock the vehicle, access the trunk, and begin their trip.
