Lucid, Uber and Hertz Team Up to Offer Robotaxis to Compete with Tesla – Oro

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been taking his share of flack for promising much on robotaxis and delivering little while other firms take off. He better pick up the pace before Tesla finds itself at the back of a large and growing pack. Among other rivals, the US-headquartered, Saudi-backed EV startup Lucid Motors has thrown its hat into the robotaxi ring under a partnership with Uber, thereby hooking itself up with the leading car rental firm Hertz as well. Yes, that Hertz.

Uber has committed to at least 35,000 Lucid vehicles that will be exclusive to Uber’s forthcoming robotaxi service.

Hertz entered the picture on April 30, when it issued a joint press release with Uber to announce two strategic partnerships alongside the launch of the new Hertz-affiliated firm Oro Mobility.

Oro describes itself as a fleet management firm focusing on safety and vehicle quality, supporting both drivers and robotaxis. Oro piloted its driver-led management system for Uber in Atlanta last year. The company’s driver platform has now been activated in San Francisco and Los Angeles. North Jersey will be on board soon as well.