Uber to Develop Self-Driving Cars With AI Company

Uber is teaming with British AI company Wayve to develop self-driving vehicles.

The ride-hailing company says it will collaborate with automakers to use the London-based start-up’s AI solutions.

This will deliver Level 4 autonomous functionality on vehicles which will subsequently be used on the Uber network “in multiple markets around the world.” There is no word yet on what OEMs will be involved.

Level 4 automation is defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers as when a vehicle is in full control of driving under certain circumstances or in a specific location.

As part of the new partnership, Uber will also make a strategic investment in Wayve, although it has not been disclosed what this will amount to.

The investment will act as an extension to the series C funding round of $1.05 billion announced in May, which was led by Japan’s SoftBank.

According to Wayve, the Uber funding will be used to accelerate its work with global OEMs to equip consumer vehicles with Level 2+ driver assistance features and Level 3 conditional automation capabilities.

The deal marks another notable step forward for Wayve, whose upward trajectory over the past two years has been remarkable. 

It has taken a different approach from many companies working in autonomous vehicles (AVs) by promoting its signature Embodied AI tech.

Related:Wayve Raises $1B for AI to Power Self-Driving Cars

Wayve describes this as an integration of “advanced AI into vehicles and robots to transform how machines interact with, comprehend and learn from human behavior in real-world environments.” 

The approach, which does not require maps, allows AVs to operate outside of geofenced areas. Among its recent successes is the launch of Europe’s biggest autonomous urban grocery delivery pilot in West London.

Credit: Wayve

“Wayve is building a ‘general purpose’ driving Al that can power all levels of driving automation in any type of vehicle, anywhere in the world,” said Alex Kendall, co-founder and CEO. 

“I’m excited to be teaming up with Uber, the largest mobility network in the world, to massively ramp up our AI’s fleet learning, ensuring our AV technology is safe and ready for global deployment across Uber’s network. 

“Together, we’re excited to work with automotive OEMs to bring autonomous driving technologies to consumers sooner.”

The partnership is a notable one for Uber, too, which has really ramped up its interest in autonomous tech over the past few months.

At the start of August it confirmed that Cruise self-driving taxis will be available on the network from 2025. This followed the announcement of a deal with China’s BYD in July that the pair would work together to develop AVs for use on Uber outside the U.S.

Related:Self-Driving Grocery Delivery Launch Marks Europe’s Largest

It already offers rides in Waymo self-driving taxis in Phoenix, and has previously partnered with Motional in Las Vegas, plus is pushing autonomous food deliveries via Uber Eats.

“Wayve’s advanced Embodied AI approach holds a ton of promise as we work towards a world where modern vehicles are shared, electric and autonomous,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s CEO.  

“We’re thrilled to bring Wayve on as a partner to work alongside automakers as we continue to build out Uber as the best network for self-driving vehicles.”