WASHINGTON, May 10, 2026, 10:36 EDT
U.S. auto safety regulators are now looking into crashes involving Avride autonomous vehicles—several running on Uber Technologies Inc.’s platform—casting new scrutiny on Uber’s robotaxi ambitions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it’s reviewing incidents that highlighted potential issues with how Avride’s cars handled public roads.
Timing is critical here. Uber finds itself pitching a vision to investors, city officials, and drivers where robotaxis—autonomous vehicles—share the road with human drivers instead of replacing them overnight. According to Uber president and chief operating officer Andrew Macdonald, some “hard questions are being sidestepped” in the industry’s push toward autonomy, Axios reported. Axios
The investigation spans 16 crashes—one of which resulted in a minor injury, according to TechCrunch, which referenced NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation. The incidents centered on Avride vehicles having trouble with lane changes, reacting to cars in front, and dealing with stationary obstacles. Each crash occurred while a safety monitor sat behind the wheel, TechCrunch noted.
Uber’s latest push isn’t only about the tech. By teaming up with robotaxi developers instead of crafting its own driverless-car platform, the company cuts down on capital requirements. But this approach also means handing off a degree of control—Uber’s influence over the software and day-to-day operations of each partner is limited.
Uber this week put its second-quarter gross bookings guidance in the $56.25 billion to $57.75 billion range. That figure captures the pre-deduction value of rides, delivery, and other activity on its platform. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company is “deepening the role Uber plays in daily life.” First-quarter trips climbed 20% from a year earlier, according to Uber. Uber Investor Relations
Uber’s outlook signals “durable demand,” according to Adam Ballantyne, a senior analyst at Cambiar Investors, which holds shares in the company, Reuters reported. For the current quarter, Uber estimated that the conflict in the Middle East would trim growth by around 60 basis points, or 0.6 percentage point. Reuters
U.S. markets took Sunday off. Uber finished Friday at $75.45, slipping 1.7% for the session, leaving the company with a roughly $156.3 billion market cap, per market data.
Uber picked up a new signal on its platform play as Lime—the e-bike and scooter outfit it backs—filed for a U.S. IPO. In its S-1, Lime reported $886.7 million in revenue for 2025, up from $686.6 million the prior year. The company also disclosed that its partnership with Uber accounted for 14.3% of its 2025 revenue.
Lukas Muehlbauer, an associate at IPOX Research, told Reuters that Lime’s filing points to “a better IPO market” and a company that’s showing more strength than it had in recent years. Lime left out both the size and price range in its initial paperwork. Reuters
Uber isn’t just about rides or restaurant deliveries anymore. On May 7, it announced that more than 1,500 Ulta Beauty stores had joined Uber Eats, expanding the platform’s reach into another slice of retail—a move aimed at making Uber a go-to for everyday shopping. “Variety and flexibility” are top priorities for beauty shoppers, according to Hashim Amin, who oversees Uber’s grocery and retail business in North America. Uber Investor Relations
Other players are flashing comparable strength. Lyft’s outlook for second-quarter bookings and adjusted core profit beat analyst targets. DoorDash, for its part, guided marketplace gross order value above expectations as growth in grocery, retail, and international business kept delivery volumes resilient.
The risk side of the story is pressing in. A safety review might slow how quickly cities greenlight fresh robotaxi fleets. And Lime’s own filing flagged a warning: hefty debt and note payments loom by the end of 2026, while the company noted “substantial doubt” it can keep operating unless IPO cash or new financing comes through. marketwatch.com
