Uber has announced a partnership with 30 companies to develop and deploy autonomous vehicles, marking a major push to dominate the self-driving car market. The ride-hailing giant said the collaboration will help it build what it calls an autonomous vehicle empire, though it did not disclose the names of the partners or the financial terms of the deals.
What the partnership entails
The 30 companies span a range of industries, including automakers, technology firms, and parts suppliers. Uber said the group will work together on vehicle development, software integration, and testing. The company did not provide a timeline for when the first autonomous vehicles might hit the road under this partnership.
Uber has been working on self-driving technology for years, but this is its largest coordinated effort to date. The company previously faced setbacks in its autonomous vehicle program, including a fatal crash in 2018. The new partnership appears designed to spread risk and accelerate progress by pooling resources across many players.
No further details about the specific companies or their roles were released. Uber said it will share more information as the partnership progresses.
