Uber is intensifying its investment in autonomous vehicles to compete with other companies that already offer driverless rides. The company has set a goal of having over two thousand fully autonomous cars operating on its platform by the end of 2027. This objective represents a significant increase compared to the approximately 700 vehicles the company expects to have by the end of this year.
This plan was disclosed on Wednesday, the 4th, during the presentation of financial results for the third quarter of 2026. According to the company's CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, the autonomous mobility strategy is entering a new phase, focused on the commercial expansion of these services.
Uber committed to allocating more than US$10 billion (equivalent to about R$54.8 billion) to expand its robotaxi network. Furthermore, the company defined an ambitious long-term goal: to make over 120,000 driverless vehicles operational. Of the more than two thousand vehicles planned for 2027, about half should be implemented in the United States, while the other half will be allocated to international markets.
This bet on driverless vehicles comes amid pressure on Uber's traditional operations. The mobility division recorded revenue of approximately US$7.5 billion (R$41.1 billion) in the third quarter, which was about US$200 million (R$1.1 billion) lower than analysts' projections, according to a report by Folha de S.Paulo.
The company faces challenges related to the difficulty of increasing driver supply in certain markets and also feels the impact of rising fuel costs. To mitigate this situation, Uber has been implementing financial incentives and sign-up bonuses for drivers.
Despite the setbacks, global results indicate continuous growth of the platform. Gross bookings, a metric that sums up customer spending on Uber services, grew by 20% compared to the same period last year, reaching US$59.8 billion (R$327.7 billion). The company's total revenue reached US$14.8 billion (approximately R$81.1 billion), representing an annual increase of 10%. Operating income, calculated under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), totaled US$1.4 billion (about R$7.7 billion).
Uber also announced its intention to slow down acquisitions to direct resources toward autonomous vehicles and share buybacks. In September, the company had announced plans to reduce about 10% of its global workforce, corresponding to approximately 3,300 positions.
Dara Khosrowshahi clarified that the initial expansion of robotaxis will be financed with the company's own resources. The search for external investments will only occur when the autonomous fleet exceeds ten thousand vehicles, which may begin to happen starting in 2028.
Currently, the company operates in nine cities and plans to add up to 15 more locations to its list still in 2026. This progress depends on vehicle availability, necessary infrastructure, and the capacity of partners to bring services online. The goal of two thousand cars in 2027 is just one step in a much larger project, requiring Uber to convert agreements with manufacturers and technology developers into scalable commercial services to compete with established leaders in the robotaxi race.
