NEW YORK, Jan 7, 2026, 12:14 EST — Regular session
- Uber shares rose about 1.7% in midday trading, extending gains after a CES robotaxi reveal with Lucid and Nuro
- The partners said autonomous on-road testing began in December, with a San Francisco Bay Area launch expected later in 2026
- Traders are eyeing regulatory timing, partnership economics and Uber’s early-February earnings window
Uber Technologies (UBER) shares climbed on Wednesday, up about 1.7% at $87.03 in midday New York trading, after the company and partners detailed progress on a planned robotaxi service tied to the Uber app.
The move landed as U.S. stocks turned mixed and investors sized up fresh labor data ahead of Friday’s monthly jobs report, a potential swing factor for rate bets and high-growth names.
For Uber, autonomy is back in the conversation because it sits at the intersection of two things shareholders keep circling: whether the company can defend pricing as competition shifts, and whether it can lower costs over time as driving becomes less dependent on humans.
Uber said on Tuesday it, Lucid Group and Nuro unveiled “production intent” vehicles for their robotaxi service at CES 2026 and that autonomous on-road testing started in December, ahead of an expected launch in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year. “Uber is proud to partner with Lucid and Nuro to bring a state-of-the-art robotaxi to market later this year,” said Sarfraz Maredia, Uber’s global head of autonomous mobility and delivery. Source
Nuro said its “level 4” system — meaning the vehicle can handle driving by itself in a defined area and set of conditions — will power the service, with prototypes supervised by autonomous vehicle operators during testing. Lucid’s Kay Stepper called the program a key part of how the automaker plans to leverage its technology beyond selling cars. Source
The rollout would drop Uber into a crowded backyard. Waymo already runs driverless rides in San Francisco, while Amazon’s Zoox has also launched a limited public service, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Analysts have started to frame the robotaxi build-out as a near-term catalyst but not a straight-line win. Wolfe Research lowered its price target on Uber to $110 from $125 while keeping an Outperform rating, according to The Fly.
In related trading, Lucid (LCID) fell about 5% and Nvidia (NVDA) added about 1.6%, while Lyft (LYFT) was little changed.
Still, the robotaxi story carries obvious friction. Launch timing depends on validation and regulatory approvals, and investors still do not know what the economics look like once autonomous technology providers and automakers start negotiating for a larger cut of fares.
Next up, traders will watch for any additional CES disclosures through Thursday and for clarity on Uber’s next earnings date; Nasdaq lists Feb. 4 as the expected report.
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