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The robotics industry is poised for significant growth. Uber seems to want to make sure it’s in the driver’s seat.
The ride-hailing company announced Wednesday that it will spend more than $100 million to build charging stations for self-driving cars in U.S. cities, starting in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and Dallas, with more cities added later.
Uber is currently running robotaxis in Atlanta and AustinThis is through a partnership with Waymo. Waymo Dominates the robotaxi market In the United States, with operations in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix. But the industry is growing rapidly. Grand View Research It expects the robotaxi market to increase From $610 million last year to $147.25 billion by 2033.
Uber also operates fleets of self-driving vehicles in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and has said it expects to add at least London and Munich to its global operations. It said it plans to offer autonomous vehicles to passengers in at least 10 cities by the end of 2026.
The charging stations will be located in new depots for the self-driving cars, which will also perform cleaning, maintenance and inspection.
Uber said it will also develop DCFC charging stations at existing “stops” in priority cities. (DCFC is the fastest How to charge electric vehicles Nearly a full charge can usually be delivered in less than an hour.
Pradeep Parameswaran, global head of mobility at Uber, said the planned development is necessary to meet the growth of the self-driving car industry.
“Cities can only unlock the full promise of autonomy and electrification if the right charging infrastructure is built at scale,” Parameswaran said in a statement. “We are helping cities prepare for an autonomous, all-electric future while making charging easier and less expensive for drivers.”
More charging stations for human-driven electric vehicles, too
Uber will also boost resources for its human drivers who use electric vehicles, saying it will partner with charging point operators to add more than 1,000 chargers in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, London, Paris and Madrid. As an incentive to develop new charging stations, it plans to pay guaranteed amounts to site operators if usage is low.
These partnerships include EVgo in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston; Hopper and Ionity in London; And Electra in Paris and Madrid.
The company said Uber drivers will be able to get discounts on shipping, which will vary by city and service provider.
Mark Watts, CEO of C40 citiesA network of mayors around the world confronting the climate crisis said in a statement that adding chargers in low-income areas will help taxi drivers “reap the benefits of more affordable operations, better incomes, and healthier communities.”