Nuro receives driverless testing permit ahead of Uber robotaxi service launch

Source: TechCrunch

Nuro has been granted a permit to begin driverless testing of Lucid Gravity SUVs equipped with its autonomous technology on California public roads—vehicles that will eventually be used in Uber’s premium robotaxi service. The Silicon Valley‑based startup, backed by Nvidia and Uber, says it isn’t quite ready to start testing yet.

Permit Update

• The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) confirmed that it modified Nuro’s driverless AV permit to include Lucid Gravity vehicles.
• Nuro has held a driverless permit for six years, but it previously applied only to a low‑speed delivery vehicle (TechCrunch, 2020). That program was scrapped when Nuro pivoted to licensing its technology to companies like Uber.
• The new permit allows Nuro to test the Lucid vehicles without a human safety operator behind the wheel. Nuro spokesperson David Salguero said the company expects to begin driverless testing later this year, though no specific timeline was provided.

Remaining Regulatory Hurdles

• In addition to the driverless permit, Nuro must obtain a driverless ride‑hailing permit from the California Public Utilities Commission.
• A deployment permit from the DMV is also required before Uber can launch its premium robotaxi service.

Current Testing Status

• Nuro and Uber are presently testing the Lucid vehicles in autonomous mode with a human safety operator in the driver’s seat.
• Last month, Uber employees were allowed to request an autonomous ride in a Lucid robotaxi (still with a safety operator) through the Uber app.

Uber–Lucid Deal

• When the three‑way deal was announced in July 2025, Uber pledged to invest $300 million in Lucid and purchase 20,000 robotaxi‑ready Gravity vehicles.
• The agreement has since expanded to $500 million and a minimum of 35,000 robotaxis, including at least 10,000 Gravity SUVs and 25,000 EVs built on Lucid’s upcoming midsize platform.
• Uber has also made a multimillion‑dollar investment directly in Nuro.

Vehicle Specifications

• The Lucid Gravity robotaxi, revealed in January (TechCrunch, 2026), is equipped with:
  • High‑resolution cameras
  • Solid‑state lidar sensors
  • Radars for environment perception
• Nuro’s autonomous system runs on Nvidia’s Drive AGX Thor computer.

Production and Timeline

• Lucid has delivered 75 engineering vehicles to Nuro and Uber. Testing and mileage accumulation are ongoing across several U.S. cities, as disclosed during Lucid’s first‑quarter earnings call (TechCrunch, 2026).
• Lucid stated it is on track for commercial robotaxi operations to begin in late 2026. These operations may not be fully driverless or could be limited, depending on regulatory approvals.