Stellantis, Wayve, Uber partner on robotaxis

Stellantis, Wayve and Uber have entered a partnership to jointly explore the development and deployment of Level 4 (driverless) robotaxis at a global scale.

The collaboration combines Stellantis’ L4 Ready Platforms, Wayve’s AI driving technology and Uber’s global marketplace, according to a press release.

Stellantis plans to design, engineer and manufacture at scale vehicles built on advanced L4-Ready Platforms that have embedded sensor suites and are engineered with the operational requirements, safety and redundancy required for high-utilization driverless operations, the release says.

Wayve will provide the AI driving software that enables the vehicles to understand and navigate complex real-world environments fully autonomously. The technology is designed to adapt across different regions and driving conditions without relying on city-by-city mapping or reengineering. This enables faster and more cost-effective expansion, the release says.

Uber will deploy these autonomous vehicles on its global mobility network, connecting riders to autonomous trips through the Uber app and helping scale operations across markets.

“This collaboration brings us closer to delivering smarter, safer and more efficient mobility for our customers,” said Ned Curic, Stellantis chief engineering and technology officer. “By combining our L4-Ready Platforms, designed from the ground up for safe and efficient driverless operation, with Wayve’s adaptive AI and Uber’s global network, we are accelerating the deployment of autonomous vehicles that meet real customer needs and enable seamless mobility at scale in everyday life.”

Kaity Fischer, Wayve’s vice president of commercial and operations, added that the partnership brings three leaders, each with their own strengths.

“This is just another strong signal that the industry is converging around Wayve’s technology as the way to scale AVs globally, and we’re excited to continue working with Stellantis and Uber to accelerate the promise of autonomy,” Fischer said.

The non-binding memorandum of understanding establishes the framework for future agreements covering technology development, licensing, production and vehicle procurement, the release says.

Stellantis and Wayve already have a recent L2++ agreement, and Wayve and Uber have a partnership to deploy autonomous rides in London, Tokyo and 10 other cities starting this year.

The announcement comes as two U.S. senators sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asking for an investigation into Tesla and other autonomous vehicle companies.

Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., published a press release Tuesday alleging that Tesla uses misleading data analysis when making statements about its full self-driving technology. This includes comparing crash outcomes that are not similar, comparing new vehicles to the entire U.S. vehicle fleet and relying on incomplete crash data.

“Tesla has repeatedly told investors, consumers, and the public that FSD is far safer than human driving, but the data analysis justifying those claims is weak and misleading,” the letter says. “These representations are not merely marketing claims; they may shape how drivers use Tesla’s FSD, how the public understands the risks of the technology, and how regulators evaluate potential safety defects. We therefore urge NHTSA to examine Tesla’s FSD safety claims as part of its ongoing oversight and investigations into the company and to strengthen its autonomous vehicle data reporting requirements.”

The letter states that Tesla executives have claimed the company’s FSD is 10 times safer than human driving. Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive officer, also displayed a chart claiming FSD has 85% fewer crashes during a board meeting, the letter alleges.

When comparing crash outcomes, the letter claims Tesla counted crashes in its own fleet involving airbag deployment against federal crash data tracking crashes in which a vehicle was towed from the scene. It adds that similar federal data for airbag deployment was available.

Tesla also compared FSD-equipped vehicles to the average vehicle on U.S. roads, which are much older than the average Tesla, the letter says.

The letter states that Tesla counts crashes involving FSD only if FSD was active at the time of the crash or within five seconds before the crash. Yet NHTSA’s Standing General Order requires reporting of crashes where the autonomous driving system was engaged at the time of or 30 seconds before the crash.

“Tesla’s own safety report states that variables including cellular connectivity and damage to vehicle communication systems may affect its ability to capture certain events,” the letter says. “Notably, when a crash is severe enough to destroy or disable the vehicle’s telematics system, Tesla’s automated reporting pipeline simply receives no data — as has reportedly happened in multiple fatal crashes. The result is a self-selected dataset that may undercount some of the most serious incidents and leave the public with a distorted picture of FSD safety.”

Misleading safety statistics can undermine NHTSA’s ability to evaluate risks associated with vehicles already operating on public roads, the letter says.

Regulators have an obligation to ensure that autonomous vehicle companies are not misleading the public about their safety data and that consumers have adequate information to make an informed decision, the letter says.

Currently, NHTSA does not require vehicle manufacturers to submit the number of autonomous vehicles they operate, distance traveled or other exposure data necessary to contextualize crash rates, the letter says.

“Without stronger reporting and validation requirements, NHTSA cannot determine whether an AV company’s public safety claims bear any relationship to reality,” the letter says. “It is deeply concerning that Tesla — or any company — can be in compliance with the SGO and, at the same time, so blatantly misrepresent the safety of its technology to the public. Notably, NHTSA does not require manufacturers to validate, peer-review, or submit for independent verification their public safety statistics.