Uber Technologies said Wednesday it will invest more than $100 million to develop self-driving vehicle charging hubs, highlighting the ride-hailing company’s recent efforts to expand its self-driving business.
The move includes building autonomous garages where Uber will conduct daily vehicle operations and DC fast-charging stations at pit stops across priority cities.
Uber has made self-driving cars a key strategic priority to secure market share and counter competition from companies such as Tesla, partnering with more than 20 companies around the world for self-driving freight, delivery and taxi services.
Charging expansion will begin in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Dallas in the United States, and then move to more cities over time.
The company has also entered into Guaranteed Usage Agreements with chargepoint operators in global markets, including EVgo in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston, Electra in Paris and Madrid, and Hubber and Ionity in London.
These agreements are expected to support the deployment of hundreds of new chargers across these cities and where charging is needed most.
Earlier this month, Uber endorsed a capital-intensive, early-stage self-driving vehicle strategy, announcing that its platform has structural advantages and would inject capital into vehicle partners to secure early supply and accelerate adoption.
Uber currently offers robotaxis on its ride-hailing platform in four U.S. cities, as well as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh. The company has partnered with robotaxi companies such as Alphabet’s Waymo and China’s Willide to operate self-driving vehicles.
(Reporting by Zaher Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
