Faced with a drop in the number of its customers due to the pandemic - particularly with the development of teleworking - Uber Technologies has sold its self-driving car division to Aurora Innovationa start-up specialising in autonomous driving.
This is a turning point for Uber which had communicated extensively about a future where autonomous taxis are set to become the new VTC standard. Unfortunately, the technology of these cars is still very uncertain. The autonomous vehicles tested by Uber have been involved in 37 accidents, including one fatality in 2018. The death of the driver seriously damaged the image of the project.
Following the accident, thethe agency responsible for transport safety in the United States (NTSB) drew several negative conclusions for Uber. The NTSB admitted that the driver was involved in the collision. However, it also considered that Uber had demonstrated " Inadequate safety culture with inadequate risk assessment procedures and ineffective driver supervision ".
Will Uber be the first to put autonomous cars into service?
However, Uber remains confident that one day autonomous vehicles will be driving under its own colours.. It is expected to take a $400 million stake in Aurora Innovation in the first quarter of 2021. In exchange, the VTC company will receive a 26% stake in the company.
The agreement also guarantees that when Aurora launches its autonomous vehicles, the Uber network will be the first to benefit.
The development of autonomous vehicles will take place in stages. According to a press release from Aurora and Uber, research will first focus on driverless trucking. This will be followed by passenger cars.
Uber's withdrawal comes at a time when the company wishes to concentrate on the profitability of its business model. The aim is to return to quarterly profits from next year.
