Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Nvidia Corp. and Uber Technologies Inc. are advancing plans to introduce robotaxi services built around Mercedes-Benz's S-Class model in major markets, the companies announced Thursday.
The partnership was disclosed during a Mercedes event that highlighted a refreshed version of the S-Class sedan. At that event, the three firms said they are moving forward with efforts to bring autonomous ride services to market, leveraging Mercedes-Benz's vehicle platform alongside Nvidia's computing and software capabilities and Uber's mobility network.
The announcement noted that coordination on advanced self-driving technology among the primary partners and additional industry participants began last year. The group cited collaboration with other automakers, explicitly naming Stellantis NV as one of the participants in that wider coordination effort.
In a video presentation shown at the Mercedes event, Nvidia's chief executive, Jensen Huang, framed the collaboration with a clear aim. He said: "Together, Mercedes-Benz, Nvidia and Uber will build a global platform that makes autonomous driving available to everyone."
The public disclosure at the vehicle showcase ties the technology partners to a specific hardware platform - the refreshed S-Class - and emphasizes the multi-company nature of the initiative. Beyond the announcement and Mr. Huang's statement, the companies did not provide additional details in the event notice about timing, market rollout sequencing or technical specifications.
As presented, the initiative represents a coordinated effort among a vehicle manufacturer, a provider of AI and autonomous driving compute and software, and a mobility services company. The related coordination last year also included other industry participants, indicating a broader set of collaborations underpinning the project.
Key points
- Mercedes-Benz, Nvidia and Uber announced a joint effort to develop robotaxi services using the refreshed S-Class as the vehicle platform.
- The collaboration was made public at a Mercedes event; Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang described the goal as building a global autonomous driving platform.
- Coordination on advanced self-driving technology among these companies and others, including Stellantis NV, began last year - affecting the automotive, semiconductor and mobility sectors.
Risks and uncertainties
- Planned nature of the initiative - the companies announced intentions to launch robotaxi services, which indicates the project is still in development and subject to timing and execution uncertainty.
- Complexity of multi-company coordination - the effort involves multiple firms, including additional participants named as Stellantis NV, which can introduce integration and governance uncertainties.
- Limited public detail - the announcement did not include specifics on rollout timelines, technical specifications or market sequencing, leaving key operational questions unanswered.