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Soon your Uber could be a self-driving car

The rideshare company has partnered with autonomous car company Cruise to bring its driverless cars to the Uber platform.
Associated Press reporter Michael Liedtke gets out of a Cruise driverless taxi after a test ride in San Francisco on Feb. 15, 2023
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Your Uber may soon be without a driver — but that’s the point.

The rideshare company has partnered with autonomous car company Cruise to bring its self-driving cars to the Uber platform.

The companies plan to launch their partnership in 2025, with a batch of Chevy Bolt-based autonomous vehicles from Cruise.

Next year, customers requesting a qualifying ride may see an option to fulfill the drive with a Cruise autonomous vehicle. They can choose to select it or a standard ride with a driver.

“As the largest mobility and delivery platform, we believe Uber can play an important role in helping to safely and reliably introduce autonomous technology to consumers and cities around the world,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a press release. “We’re thrilled to partner with Cruise and look forward to launching next year.”

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The move comes as more self-driving cars from companies like Tesla hit the road.

“Cruise is on a mission to leverage driverless technology to create safer streets and redefine urban life,” said Cruise CEO Marc Whitten in a press release. “We are excited to partner with Uber to bring the benefits of safe, reliable, autonomous driving to even more people, unlocking a new era of urban mobility.”

Last year, Cruise’s former CEO Kyle Vogt resigned amid a slew of issues with the company's vehicles.

As of June, Cruise resumed supervised autonomous driving in Phoenix, Houston and Dallas. The company is also undergoing ongoing testing in Dubai.

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