Uber Technologies Inc. revealed that it plans to launch a driverless food-delivery test program in the United States next year.
Uber Eats deliveries will be tested in California in collaboration with Motional Inc., an autonomous driving joint venture between Hyundai Motor Co. and Aptiv Plc. Customers ordering through the Uber Eats app will be able to participate in the experiment, which is Uber’s first foray into driverless deliveries.
Lyft Inc., a rideshare competitor, teamed up with Motional to test self-driving taxi rides in Las Vegas, and expects customers to be able to hail autonomous vehicles using its app starting in 2023.
Our consumers and merchant partners have come to expect convenience, reliability and innovation from Uber, and this collaboration represents a huge opportunity to meet —and exceed— those expectations, Sarfraz Maredia, vice president and head of Uber Eats in the U.S. and Canada, said in a statement.
Last year, Uber sold its self-driving car division to Aurora Innovation Inc. and took a stake in the startup, abandoning its plan to build a fleet of self-driving taxis.
