Robotaxi fever is back, baby! After a bunch of automaker-led autonomous driving projects shut down amid concerns over safety and costs, car companies are expressing a renewed interest in self-driving cars, and robotaxis specifically. Stellantis, which oversees brands like Jeep, Ram, Dodge, and Chrysler, announced today a “new collaboration” with a diverse range of firms, including Nvidia, Foxconn, and Uber, to launch its own robotaxi service.
It will work something like this: Stellantis will build the vehicles, Nvidia and Foxconn will install the self-driving systems, and Uber will deploy them on its ridehailing platform. Stellantis says it vehicles platforms are “AV-Ready,” including its K0 Medium Size Van and STLA Small. These vehicles are designed for “maximum flexibility” and can be built to accomodate multiple passengers.
These vehicles are designed for “maximum flexibility” and can be built to accomodate multiple passengers.
The autonomous driving technology will be powered by Nvidia’s Drive AGX Hyperion 10 architecture, which includes the chipmaker’s DriveOS software. What exactly Foxconn is bringing to the table is a little unclear; the press release only says the Taiwanese tech company will “collaborate with Stellantis on hardware and systems integration.” Foxconn, which famously manufactures the iPhone for Apple, has declared ambitious plans to sell vehicles globally, but has a bad habit of partnering with car companies that eventually go out of business.
Stellantis says “start of production” for these new vehicles is slated for 2028. Uber will deploy the robotaxis in multiple markets globally, starting first in the US with 5,000 vehicles. No other details have been provided about specific cities or deadlines.
These announcements tend to tout the “collaborative” aspects of the deal, but often they are just supplier deals being framed as partnerships. Nvidia is also supplying its tech to a number of different companies, including General Motors and Lucid. Uber has said it wants to put many different robotaxi brands on its platform, including Waymo and Volkswagen. Stellantis is working on Level 3 partial autonomy for many of its brands, including Jeep. And it has a robotaxi deal with Pony.ai.