Uber Taps Hertz Subsidiary to Scale Robotaxi Program

Hertz plans to expand beyond its car rental business and serve “the next era of mobility” with a new affiliated operating company that will provide fleet management solutions for autonomous robotaxi and driver-led rideshare fleets.

The new company, Oro Mobility, said in a Thursday (April 30) press release that its first major partner is Uber.

Oro and Uber have formed strategic fleet partnerships in which Oro will provide operational and maintenance services for Uber’s autonomous and driver-led operations in key U.S. markets, according to the release.

For Uber’s autonomous robotaxi program, Oro will provide charging, maintenance, repairs, cleaning, depot staffing and other day-to-day vehicle asset management services. The companies plan to launch this collaboration in the San Francisco Bay Area by the end of the year and then consider expanding it in 2027.

For Uber’s driver-led operations, Oro will provide a fleet of vehicles maintained by the company and operated by Oro-employed drivers. The companies successfully piloted this partnership in Atlanta last year, later expanded it to Los Angeles and San Francisco, and now plan to extend it to Northern New Jersey this spring.

“This partnership with Uber establishes Oro as an integrated solution that connects demand with scalable fleet management services,” Hertz CEO Gil West said in the release. “Through this work, we’re deepening our capabilities across diverse mobility use cases, and positioning Hertz to play a significant role as the industry evolves.”

Uber President and Chief Operating Officer Andrew Macdonald said in the release that the partnership with Oro will help Uber transition to a network that includes both driver-led and autonomous rideshare operations.

“By combining Uber’s global platform and marketplace leadership with Oro’s dedicated fleet management expertise, we are well-equipped to meet increasing rideshare demand and deliver a seamless, high-quality rider experience across the entire mobility ecosystem,” Macdonald said.

Uber and carmaker Rivian announced in March that they have teamed up to deploy 10,000 fully autonomous Rivian R2 robotaxis, starting in Miami and San Francisco in 2028 and then expanding to 25 cities by 2031. The companies aim to have thousands of robotaxis deployed across 25 cities in the U.S., Canada and Europe by the end of 2021.