Autonomous technology developer Nuro has secured a significant regulatory milestone, receiving a permit to conduct driverless testing of Lucid Gravity SUVs on public roads in California. This development marks a shift for the Silicon Valley-based startup, which previously focused on low-speed delivery vehicles before pivoting to license its autonomous systems to major ride-hailing platforms. While the permit allows for testing without a human safety operator, the company has indicated that full driverless trials are expected to commence later this year.

The initiative is a critical component of a broader partnership involving Uber and electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid. Currently, these companies are conducting autonomous testing with human safety operators present to ensure system reliability. Uber has significantly bolstered its commitment to the project, increasing its investment in Lucid to $500 million and scaling its procurement plan to include a minimum of 35,000 robotaxi-ready vehicles. This fleet will eventually consist of both Lucid Gravity SUVs and upcoming mid-size platform electric vehicles, all powered by Nuro’s autonomous software and Nvidia’s Drive AGX Thor computing platform.

Despite the regulatory clearance, several hurdles remain before the service can reach commercial viability. Nuro must still obtain specific ride-hailing and deployment permits from the California Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Motor Vehicles. Lucid has already delivered 75 engineering vehicles to support ongoing mileage accumulation and testing across multiple U.S. cities. Executives remain optimistic that the technology is on track for a commercial launch in late 2026, though the initial scope of these operations will depend on the pace of final regulatory approvals.