Uber is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into Lucid and autonomous vehicle technology startup Nuro in a bid to launch its own robotaxi service.

Uber just announced a deal today with the company that runs one of the largest robotaxi fleets in China, as the ridehail giant nears its goal of becoming the world’s ultimate autonomous vehicle clearinghouse.

Uber has committed to investing hundreds of millions in both Lucid and Nuro as part of the program. The plan includes the installation of hardware in Lucid Gravity vehicles to handle Nuro’s autonomous driving system during the assembly line, before the software is added when the car is commissioned by Uber.

That makes Uber a logical partner for autonomous vehicle (AV) companies. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sees robotaxis as at $1 trillion opportunity in the U.S. alone, and he recently told analysts, "Uber can deliver the lowest operational costs for our AV partners because we are leaps and bounds ahead on every aspect of the go-to-market capabilities."

Tesla only recently launched its first robotaxi pilot program in limited parts of Austin, Texas. Uber strikes game-changing deal to unleash 'Tesla killer': 'Next-generation premium global robotaxi program' first appeared on The Cool Down.

Uber has partnered with a number of firms for robotaxi services, but this latest alliance is getting more attention than most.

Tesla expanded the ‘geofence’ for its robotaxi pilot service in Austin, Texas, less than a month after its launch.

Uber Technologies is accelerating its global robotaxi expansion through a landmark multiyear alliance with China's Baidu Inc. This renewed partnership, rekindling ties from a strategic investment over a decade ago,