Uber begins matching Dallas riders with Avride robotaxis across nine-square-mile service zone
- Perry Richardson
- 10 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Uber has moved to expand its autonomous vehicle activity in the United States by allowing riders in Dallas to be matched with an Avride robotaxi for the first time.
The company said the integration, launched today, will make fully electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 autonomous vehicles available across a defined operating zone covering Downtown, Uptown, Turtle Creek and Deep Ellum. Uber added that further geographic expansion is planned as operations scale.
The rollout gives passengers requesting UberX, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric the possibility of being matched with an Avride vehicle at no additional cost. Riders will be notified when the autonomous option is offered and can choose to accept the match or switch back to a conventional trip. The vehicles are accessed and unlocked through the Uber app, maintaining the standard user interface used for human-driven journeys.
Avride’s fleet has been built to operate as a fully autonomous robotaxi service. However, initial deployment will include an in-vehicle specialist positioned behind the wheel to monitor operations. Uber said fully driverless trips, with no human in the driving seat, will follow once safety validation milestones are met.
Uber integrates Avride’s electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxis into its Dallas platform, introducing on-app access to autonomous vehicles at standard UberX pricing.
The company stressed that any autonomous vehicle operating on its platform must comply with its existing Safety Guidelines, which include technical requirements, risk-monitoring processes and real-time support protocols. Riders will have access to human assistance through the app if intervention is required during a journey.
Dallas users keen to prioritise autonomous matches can opt in through the Ride Preferences section of the app. Uber said this feature gives customers the ability to increase their likelihood of being paired with an Avride vehicle as the fleet grows.
The introduction strengthens Uber’s position in the emerging robotaxi market, where operators are competing to align autonomous platforms with established ride-hailing demand. For the industry, Dallas becomes another testbed for mixed fleets as regulators, technology firms and mobility providers examine safety, operational efficiency and public adoption ahead of wider commercial deployment.
Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous at Uber, said: “We’re excited to launch autonomous rides in Dallas with Avride, as we continue to build towards an increasingly electric and autonomous future.
“With the world’s largest hybrid network, we’re proving how AVs and drivers can work side by side to make transportation more convenient, sustainable, and affordable for people everywhere.”
Dmitry Polishchuk, CEO at Avride, said: "Robotaxis are what we’ve been building from day one, and we’re excited to begin introducing them in Dallas, with our partners at Uber.
“Building on the success of our autonomous delivery partnership, we’re now expanding our collaboration with Uber and bringing our core technology to passenger mobility, laying the groundwork for scalable autonomous transportation."
