Uber is launching self-driving taxis in another city as the robotaxi race heats up

"Dallas has become the latest city to get robotaxis on Uber. The ride-hailing giant announced on Wednesday that users can now access self-driving vehicles developed by startup Avride, as the race to introduce robotaxis across the US continues to heat up. The Dallas robotaxi fleet, which is made up of Hyundai Ioniq 5 EVs powered by Avride's self-driving tech, will initially include human monitors in the driver's seat. Uber said that fully driverless operations will be coming "sometime in the future.""

"Customers requesting a ride on the Uber app may be matched with a robotaxi, Uber said, but they will have the option to switch to a human-operated vehicle. The launch comes as robotaxis roll out across the US at an increasingly dizzying pace. Dallas is the third US city in which Uber has launched autonomous ride-hailing options, with the company also partnering with Waymo in Austin and Atlanta."

"After spending years testing self-driving taxis, Waymo is also accelerating its rollout. The Google-owned company recently announced plans to introduce autonomous ride-hailing services in Dallas, Miami, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando, adding to its existing operations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta. On Tuesday, Waymo said it had begun operating robotaxis without a driver in Dallas."

Uber partnered with robotaxi startup Avride to launch a fleet of Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV robotaxis in Dallas. The Avride vehicles use the company’s self-driving technology and will initially include human monitors in the driver's seat. Riders on the Uber app may be matched with a robotaxi but can opt for a human-operated vehicle instead. Dallas is the third U.S. city to get autonomous ride-hailing on Uber, joining Austin and Atlanta partnerships with Waymo. Waymo is expanding autonomous services to multiple cities and has begun operating driverless robotaxis in Dallas. Uber shifted to partnering with AV firms after abandoning its own robotaxi program.

Read at Business Insider