Uber Ceo Wants To Partner With Tesla On Robotaxis Because 'no One Wants To Compete Against Tesla Or Elon'

During an nett telephone past month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that nan electrical conveyance shaper would commencement offering paid rides successful June for its afloat self-driving robotaxi service. Now Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is making it clear that he doesn't want to compete pinch Tesla — he wants to partner pinch nan institution to relationship robotaxi rides done Uber's ride-hailing platform.

"Listen, nary 1 wants to compete against Tesla aliases Elon if you tin thief it," Khosrowshahi told exertion master Ben Thompson successful an question and reply published successful Thompson's newsletter Statechery connected Thursday. "Their capabilities are beautiful extraordinary, but I deliberation nan aforesaid economical laws usage to them."

Related: Uber's CEO Says Human Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced

Khosrowshahi said that Tesla would usage by allowing its robotaxis to relationship rides done Uber. Instead of riders accessing nan robotaxis solely done nan Tesla app, they could pat into rides pinch nan self-driving cars done Uber too.

Working pinch Uber could thief maximize Tesla's profits by expanding its reach. Uber completed an mean of 33 cardinal trips per day, according to nan company's latest nett report.

"That is going to create much, overmuch overmuch revenue," Khosrowshahi stated. "Ultimately that'll summation nan worthy of nan Tesla truthful that nan residual worthy of that car improves."

Khosrowshahi added that if Tesla puts their robotaxis connected Uber's network, nan self-driving cars would subordinate 150,000 different Tesla vehicles connected Uber today, adding to an established presence.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg via Getty Images

This isn't nan first clip Khosrowshahi has indicated an liking successful partnering pinch Tesla. In an question and reply pinch nan Financial Times that aired successful October, Khosrowshahi said that he would "love" to bring Tesla's robotaxis to Uber erstwhile nan exertion was ready. He said that he aimed to collaborate pinch nan autonomous industry, pointing to partnerships announced successful precocious 2024 pinch Alphabet's Waymo and Cruise.

Uber already has robotaxis connected its app successful definite areas done its partnerships, including Phoenix, Arizona, and Austin, Texas. The institution put its ain dreams of building a self-driving car to nan broadside successful 2020 erstwhile it sold its autonomous conveyance investigation section to self-driving startup Aurora.

Related: Waymo's Driverless Robotaxi Fleet Is Making 50,000 Trips Per Week — Here's Where nan Cars Are Headed Next

Khosrowshahi told nan Wall Street Journal past play that autonomous vehicles would return complete Uber rides successful nan adjacent 15 to 20 years, putting value Uber drivers retired of work.

Khosrowshahi took complete Uber successful 2017, starring nan institution to its first yearly operating profit successful 2023. After reporting a nonaccomplishment of $1.8 cardinal successful 2022, Uber reported an yearly profit of $1.1 cardinal successful 2023 and $2.8 cardinal successful 2024.