American autonomous delivery vehicle company
Waymo, Wayve, Baidu and Uber-backed ventures have pushed robotaxi testing and commercial rollouts in London, San Francisco and Houston, while Uber has announced Houston as its next market after San Francisco. Companies have recalled vehicles and limited freeway operations after construction-zone incidents, and unions and regulators are blocking some US rollout plans.
Lucid Group has filed to cut about 18% of its U.S. workforce, eliminating the chief operating officer position as part of a drive to align production with demand and move toward profitability. The moves follow February cuts and precede the potential mass-market Cosmos launch this year, while the company pursues robotaxi plans with Uber and Nuro.
SpaceX has announced a senior unsecured notes offering to raise about $20 billion to refinance a bridge loan and fund expanding AI infrastructure, including Starship and Starlink. The move follows a record IPO and large cash reserves, but faces scrutiny over negative free cash flow and high capital needs.
Lucid Motors has denied bankruptcy or going-private reports. It says liquidity remains strong enough to fund operations into 2027, with AlixPartners reviewing the business to improve execution and focus on the Gravity SUV. The firm has undergone leadership and workforce changes amid ongoing restructuring.
Uber has announced hotels on the platform through a partnership with Expedia, and is expanding travel-related services, including a "shop for me" feature and a driver/developer-focused data initiative. The company is pursuing an integrated app strategy that blends rides, Eats, hotels, and financial services, while building a data layer for autonomous-vehicle partnerships.
San Francisco confronts a surge in regulatory scrutiny as Waymo robotaxis faced power outages and immobilization during a holiday traffic jam. Mayor Daniel Lurie is pushing for mandatory, statewide standards to ensure autonomous vehicles can operate in major disruptions, with agencies like NHTSA calling for immediate fixes.