Toyota invests 482 million in Uber for the autonomous taxi

The Japanese manufacturer Toyota will invest 500 million dollars (428 euros at the current exchange rate) in Uber to develop autonomous cars that will be available on this platform.

In particular, Uber will introduce from 2021 on its fleet units of the Toyota Sienna monovolume without a pilot, a service named Autono-MaaS. On the horizon of the platform is to dispense with the million drivers who have worldwide to replace them with autonomous cars, although this technology is not yet mature. The fleet will be equipped with Toyota’s security software, called Guardian.

This investment is an injection for the autonomous driving division of Uber after the fatal accident that led one of its Volvo XC90 test in Arizona (USA) in March this year. An incident that forced the company to suspend its activity in this field.

The agreement with Toyota does not invalidate the one that Uber signed with Volvo, for which it will buy 24,000 units of the aforementioned Swedish SUV between 2019 and 2021; or the one that closed with Daimler at the beginning of the year by which it will incorporate Mercedes-Benz into its fleet. “Over time, we will make a transition from the business model we have with Volvo, where we own the fleet, to this type of partnership (with Toyota), where Uber is the technology provider,” said Jeff Miller, one of its chiefs. developmental.

Toyota already made an investment in Uber in 2016 through its subsidiary Toyota Financial Services for an undisclosed amount. With this new investment, the company would be valued at 72,000 million dollars.

Source: El Mundo