--- title: "Rivian Needed a Win. Uber Just Promised Up to $1.25 Billion and 50,000 R2 Orders" date: "2026-03-19" modified: "2026-03-19" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/rivian-needed-a-win-uber-just-promised-up-to-1-25-billion-and-50000-r2-orders" categories: - "Car Tech" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Rivian News" - "Self-Driving Tech" tags: - "Electric Vehicle" - "R2" - "Rivian" - "suv/crossover" --- # Rivian Needed a Win. Uber Just Promised Up to $1.25 Billion and 50,000 R2 Orders ![Rivian R2 rear three quarters view]() *\Rivian\* Though it may seem a little surprising for a brand ostensibly built around exploration and the outdoors, [Rivian]() has gone all in on autonomous driving. And now, as part of that effort, it's struck a deal with Uber to supply the rideshare service and its partners with 10,000 R2 SUVs, all to serve as robotaxis. If that goes well, Uber will have the option to purchase 40,000 more in 2030—and invest up to $1.25 billion in the EV maker over the next five years. That is a serious chunk of change for Rivian, during a critical period. The brand is coming off a down year in 2025 as many EV makers have, thanks in large part to the end of federal incentives. The first phase of the Uber deal will begin with "a scaled, fully autonomous fleet of R2 robotaxis" in San Francisco and Miami in 2028, and the companies hope to expand that to 25 cities by 2031, per a joint press release. And, on the cash side, Uber has "committed" to "an initial $300 million investment" in Rivian. During Rivian's Autonomy and AI day in December, the EV maker announced an expansion of its Universal Hands-Free Level 2 driver assistance system to [cover 3.5 million miles of roads]() across the U.S. and Canada. The [R2](), which is finally going on sale this spring, will be able to take advantage of that, as will second-generation R1S and R1T models on the automaker's latest electrical architecture. At a time when some manufacturers, like Mercedes and BMW, are pausing deployment of their more advanced Level 3 autonomous driving systems, Rivian is going full steam ahead. It even [plans to deploy lidar]() in the R2 before the end of this year, in tandem with its own custom-designed silicon to handle all self-driving tasks. If you view Rivian as less of a company that makes utility vehicles, and rather, a company that builds hardware and software that *happen* to go into utility vehicles, then this partnership makes all the sense in the world. *Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()