Uber Technologies announced a plan to commit in excess of $100 million to establish charging hubs for autonomous vehicles as it pushes to scale its self-driving operations.
The company's investment will focus on installing DC fast charging equipment at its autonomous depots - the sites from which it operates day-to-day fleet activities - and at strategic pit stops across target cities. These chargers are intended to support the operational needs of robotaxi fleets as Uber expands deployments.
Rollout of the charging expansion will start in the United States, with initial deployments in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Dallas. Uber said it will extend the program to additional cities over time, prioritizing locations where charging demand is greatest.
To broaden its footprint more quickly, Uber is entering "utilization guarantee agreements" with chargepoint operators in several global markets. Named partners include EVgo in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston; Electra in Paris and Madrid; and Hubber and Ionity in London. Uber said these agreements are expected to underpin the installation of hundreds of new chargers across the listed cities and other areas where charging capacity is needed most.
The investment is part of Uber's wider strategic emphasis on autonomous vehicles. The company has formed partnerships with more than 20 firms worldwide to advance self-driving freight, delivery and taxi services and to capture early market share. Uber stated earlier this month that it is backing a capital-intensive, early-stage autonomous vehicle strategy by committing capital to vehicle partners to secure early supply and accelerate deployments, asserting that its platform provides a structural advantage.
Uber currently offers robotaxis on its ride-hailing platform in four U.S. cities and in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. Its autonomous fleet arrangements include partnerships with firms such as Alphabet's Waymo and China's WeRide for robotaxi operations.
Sectors impacted: transportation and mobility services, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and technology/automotive competition.