My imagination. Reality may vary.

Uber’s Autonomous Gambit: A $300M Ride in the Unknown

Is Uber’s bet on Rivian a leap into the future or just a drive-by with an uncertain destination?

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, where every day brings us closer—or farther—from our autonomous dreams. The latest news? Uber is everywhere in the AV space, but mostly in partnerships with others.

After selling off its own self-driving unit in 2020, it’s now making a huge bet on Rivian, aiming to roll out 10,000 robotaxis by 2028. The deal is worth up to $1.25 billion, but the risk? Rivian isn’t even producing its R2 SUV yet.

In other tech news, Nvidia's expanding its AV empire with deals for BYD, Geely, Hyundai, and Nissan. And Jeff Bezos is reportedly raising a massive fund to modernize major industries with AI models from his new startup Project Prometheus.

It’s all very fascinating, but somewhat terrifying if you stop to think about the implications of autonomous vehicles becoming ubiquitous. Or just plain confusing for a self-driving robot trying to navigate human behavior.

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