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Uber plans to expand beyond its car rental business and move toward “the next era of mobility” by creating a new affiliated operating company, Oro Mobility, to provide fleet management solutions for both autonomous robotaxi services and driver-led rideshare fleets.
In a Thursday (April 30) press release, Oro Mobility said its first major partner is Uber. The companies have formed strategic fleet partnerships in which Oro will handle operational and maintenance services for Uber’s autonomous and driver-led operations in key U.S. markets.
For Uber’s autonomous robotaxi program, Oro will provide charging, maintenance, repairs, cleaning, depot staffing, and other day-to-day vehicle asset management services.
The companies plan to launch the collaboration in the San Francisco Bay Area by the end of the year, with consideration of expansion in 2027.
For Uber’s driver-led operations, Oro will provide a fleet of vehicles maintained by the company and operated by Oro-employed drivers.
The partnership was piloted in Atlanta last year, expanded to Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is now planned to extend to Northern New Jersey this spring.
Hertz CEO Gil West said in the release that the partnership with Uber positions Oro as an integrated solution connecting demand with scalable fleet management services.
Uber President and Chief Operating Officer Andrew Macdonald said the partnership with Oro will help Uber transition to a network that includes both driver-led and autonomous rideshare operations.
Uber and carmaker Rivian announced in March that they will deploy 10,000 fully autonomous Rivian R2 robotaxis. The rollout is set to begin in Miami and San Francisco in 2028, followed by expansion to 25 cities by 2031.
The companies also said they aim to have thousands of robotaxis deployed across 25 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe by the end of 2021.
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