Nuro Moves Closer to Uber Robotaxi Service With California’s Driverless Permits

In Focus

• Nuro secured a permit to test self-driving Lucid SUVs in California
• The startup needed the permit for Uber to add it to its robotaxi service
• Nuro still needs acquire deployment and driverless ride-hailing permits

Driverless startup Nuro has acquired a permit to start testing autonomous Lucid Gravity SUVs on California public roads. The self-driving vehicles use Nuro’s autonomous technology and will eventually be onboarded onto Uber’s premium robotaxi service. Nuro’s driverless testing has been confirmed by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Regulators Expanded Nuro’s Existing Driverless Permit

The state regulatory agency modified the startup’s driverless AV permit, which Nuro has held for six years, to accommodate Lucid Gravity cars. A California driverless permit is among the regulatory requirements that Nuro needed before Uber can add it to its robotaxi service.

Additionally, Nuro has to acquire a deployment permit from the DMV as well as a driverless ride-hailing permit, which is issued by the California Public Utilities Commission. With the expanded autonomous vehicle permit, Nuro will test self-driving Lucid vehicles without placing a human safety operator behind the wheel.

Prior to acquiring the robotaxi testing permit, Nuro and Uber had been testing Lucid cars in self-driving mode and with a human safety operator present in the driver’s seat. In April 2026, the companies allowed Uber staff to request Lucid robotaxi rides via the company’s ride-hailing app. Nuro plans to start testing driverless Lucid vehicles later this year.

Uber Plans to Invest in Lucid

In July 2025, Uber committed to invest $300 million in Lucid. The ride-hailing firm also said it would purchase 20,000 robotaxi-ready Gravity cars to include in its fleet. Uber has since expanded the deal to invest $500 million and buy a minimum of 35,000 vehicles.

The company split the vehicle purchase volume into two. At least 10,000 units will be Gravity SUVs while 25,000 units would be electric vehicles built on Lucid’s mid-size platform. The electric vehicles will run on Nuro’s autonomous driving system, which is built on NVIDIA’s Drive AGX Thor computing platform.

The Lucid Gravity robotaxi, which was unveiled in January 2026, is equipped with high-resolution cameras, solid-state lidar and radar sensors that allow it to detect and navigate its surroundings. Uber, which recently added Motional robotaxis to its network, has also invested millions of dollars in Nuro.

The company has issued a strong forecast for Q2 2026, saying it expects gross bookings in the range of $56.25 billion to $57.75 billion. The quarterly outlook is slightly higher than analysts’ estimates of $56.07 ⁠billion.

Lucid’s Plan to Launch Robotaxi Operations

Lucid has already delivered 75 vehicles to Nuro and Uber. In its first-quarter earnings call, the company said testing of these vehicles is already underway across cities in the U.S. The EV maker said its plans to begin commercial robotaxi operations in late 2026 are still on track.
However, its initial deployments may not be fully driverless. The deployments could also face limitations depending on regulatory approvals. Despite these uncertainties, Lucid executives said development and certification efforts are progressing as planned.