Uber Technologies, Inc., Nuro, Inc., and Lucid Group, Inc. have named Houston as the second planned market for their robotaxi program, targeting a mid-2027 launch exclusively through the Uber network. The service aims to scale to dozens of markets globally with a minimum of 35,000 vehicles, leveraging Lucid Gravity vehicles equipped with Nuro's Level 4 universal autonomy platform. This expansion follows the program's initial launch in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year and relies on a new 50,000-square-foot depot facility and dedicated charging pitstop in Houston to support operations.

Operational Infrastructure and Testing

Nuro is currently conducting autonomous on-road testing with safety operators in Houston, utilizing a fleet of nearly 100 vehicles across California and Texas that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The test fleet is expected to expand as Lucid manufactures the first production validation robotaxis at its Arizona factory. Uber has secured a depot facility in Houston to manage charging, maintenance, repairs, and cleaning at scale, serving as the operational backbone for the fleet of Lucid Gravity robotaxis powered by Nuro's technology.

Strategic Importance of Houston

As the fourth-largest city in the U.S., Houston offers the scale, trip diversity, and regulatory framework necessary for autonomous mobility deployment. Nuro has maintained a presence in the city since 2019 and has conducted Level 4 autonomous operations on its public roads. The company emphasized that safety remains its highest priority, citing deep relationships with local communities, first responders, and policymakers.

Partnership and Technology Integration

The global robotaxi program, announced in July 2025, combines Lucid's electric vehicles and factory integration, Nuro's Level 4 autonomy platform, and Uber's ride-hailing network and fleet operations expertise. The vehicles will feature a redundant sensor suite with cameras, lidar, radar, and a roof-mounted halo. Uber is designing the in-cabin experience, including personalization and rider controls, while Nuro provides autonomy visualization. The vehicles will be owned and operated by Uber and its fleet partners.

Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER) stock fell more than 2% on Friday, underperforming a broader market rally, as investors focused on a reported bid for Delivery Hero and concerns over autonomous vehicle spending. The Nasdaq gained 0.27%, and the S&P 500 added 0.39%. The decline comes amid reports that Uber is considering the sale of specific assets owned by Delivery Hero to facilitate a full takeover, a strategy aimed at navigating potential regulatory hurdles and antitrust concerns.

BNP Paribas said Friday that a potential acquisition of Delivery Hero would make strategic sense for Uber, particularly in Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Analyst Nick Jones noted that Uber's reported offer of 33 euros per share, or about $38, was rejected, with investors reportedly seeking at least 40 euros per share, or about $46. While Jones sees a clear strategic rationale for consolidation, he cautioned that any deal would likely weigh on Uber's growth rate and profit margins in the near term, though cost synergies could eventually offset those pressures.

The firm maintained a positive rating on Uber and reiterated a $108 price forecast, implying roughly 55% upside from the stock's June 11 closing price. Analysts remain broadly bullish, with a Buy consensus rating and an average price forecast of $105.95. Recent analyst actions include Tigress Financial raising its price forecast to $115 on June 12, BTIG maintaining a Buy rating and $100 price forecast on May 28, and DA Davidson maintaining a Buy rating and $107 price forecast on May 26.

Technically, Uber continues to trade below all major moving averages, reinforcing a bearish trend. The shares are 5.6% below their 20-day simple moving average, 7.6% below the 50-day average, 8.6% below the 100-day average, and 17.8% below the 200-day average. A "death cross" that formed in January remains a negative signal, and momentum indicators like the MACD remain weak. A key resistance level sits near $78.50.

Uber Technologies shares were down 2.19% at $68.03 at the time of publication on Friday, trading near its 52-week low of $67.19. The funds most invested in Uber include the Tremblant Global ETF (TOGA) with a 4.84% weight, the Trenchless Fund ETF (RVER) with a 4.86% weight, and the Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF (BUL) with a 4.70% weight.