Uber Technologies, a global ride-hail company, and May Mobility, an autonomous vehicle (AV) technology company, have announced a multi-year strategic partnership to scale the availability of AV transportation. May Mobility aims to deploy thousands of AVs on the Uber platform over the next few years, with an initial launch planned for Arlington, Texas, by the end of 2025. Under the agreement, Uber will offer customers the option of a May Mobility AV on qualifying trips.
May Mobility will provide a fleet of American-made, hybrid-electric Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS vehicles equipped with its patented multi-policy decision-making (MPDM) technology. The first deployment will launch with onboard safety operators before transitioning to driverless operation. After the initial launch in Arlington, the companies intend to expand to additional US markets in 2026.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with May Mobility to continue to scale the availability of autonomous vehicles across the United States,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. “At Uber, we’re building the future of transportation, working with the world’s leading autonomous vehicle developers like May Mobility to help commercialize and deploy this technology quickly at scale around the world.” The AV transportation industry is worth an estimated US$1tn in the United States.
May Mobility’s MPDM platform applies real-time, human-like reasoning to handle unexpected situations with AI-powered speed and precision, enabling the navigation of real-world situations without having to rely on predefined scenarios. The company says MPDM adapts to any new scenario or environment, even edge cases. This technology has been deployed across the US and Japan, including in driverless operations in three cities.
“Launching on the Uber platform is a big signal to the market that May Mobility is ready to quickly expand to major markets as the pre-eminent Autonomy as a Service provider,” said Edwin Olson, CEO and co-founder of May Mobility. “Uber and May Mobility will make it possible for more people across the US to enjoy the transformative benefits of autonomous vehicles.”
In related news, Volkswagen ADMT, the autonomous mobility subsidiary of Volkswagen Group of America, and Uber Technologies have announced a strategic partnership to deploy a fleet of all-electric, fully autonomous ID Buzz AD vehicles. Click here to read the full story.