Autonomous technology company Avride said on Thursday it is expanding testing of its vehicles in Dallas as it prepares to launch a robotaxi service on Uber’s ride-hailing platform. The initiative is part of a broader effort by technology firms to integrate autonomous vehicles into ride-hailing and delivery services, following partnerships with both mobility and logistics companies.
Avride first announced a partnership with Uber in October last year, which initially focused on autonomous delivery services. Its delivery robots were deployed on the Uber Eats platform in Austin in November, and the service has since been extended to Dallas and Jersey City. By the end of 2025, Avride’s autonomous vehicles are expected to operate as robotaxis on the Uber platform, consolidating its delivery and passenger services under a single technology framework.
The forthcoming robotaxi fleet in Dallas will utilize Hyundai Motor’s Ioniq 5 electric vehicle platform, integrated with Avride’s autonomous driving system. The Ioniq 5 is designed for efficiency, passenger comfort, and performance, making it well-suited for autonomous operations. Avride signed an agreement with Hyundai in March to jointly develop and operate self-driving vehicles, marking a closer collaboration between the two companies.
Dmitry Polishchuk, CEO of Avride, said: “At Avride, we can’t wait to bring our robotaxi service to Dallas. With our autonomous delivery robots already trusted by customers on Uber Eats, we’re excited to expand that experience to passenger rides on Uber, bringing scalable autonomy to urban mobility.”
Uber’s head of autonomous mobility and delivery, Sarfraz Maredia, commented: “Soon, Uber riders will have a new way to move around the city, marking another step toward making autonomous transportation part of everyday life.”
The robotaxi launch in Dallas represents the next stage of Avride’s collaboration with Uber, following the deployment of its delivery robots on the Uber Eats platform. The company has also worked with food delivery company Grubhub to expand its autonomous delivery footprint on college campuses in the United States.