Toronto, Ontario — In this week’s electric vehicle round up, Uber, Lucid and Nuro announce a global robotaxi plan, Stellantis discontinues its hydrogen fuel development program and hybrid vehicles will be sold in the U.S. and Canada by Mitsubishi near the end of 2025.
Uber, Lucid and Nuro Partner to Launch a Global Robotaxi Plan
Uber has joined forces with Lucid and Nuro to launch a global robotaxi plan. The companies are combining Uber’s ride-sharing platform, Lucid’s new electric SUV and Nuro’s autonomous driving technology to roll out more than 20,000 Lucid vehicles over the next six years. According to the companies, the Lucid-Nuro prototype robotaxis are currently being tested on a closed circuit at Nuro’s Las Vegas centre and that the first launch will be in a major U.S. city.
Stellantis Announces Discontinuation of Hydrogen Fuel Development Program
Stellantis has announced the discontinuation of its hydrogen fuel cell technology development program due to the “limited availability of hydrogen refueling infrastructure, high capital requirements and the need for stronger consumer purchasing incentives,” as stated in the press release.
Now that the company no longer anticipates widespread hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicles before 2035, its plans to release hydrogen-powered Pro One vehicles have been cancelled. Staffing will not be affected, and hybrid technology research and development activities will be diverted to other projects.
Mitsubishi Hybrids to be Sold in Canada and the U.S. Near the end of 2025
For the first time, Mitsubishi Motors will begin selling hybrid models in the U.S. and Canada near the end of 2025. The July 17 announcement reported by Nikkei Asia stated that Mitsubishi will be changing its Outlander sports utility vehicle from gasoline to hybrid. The “sluggish electric vehicle market coupled with growing popularity of hybrids” is cited as the reason for the change. Plug-in hybrids are scheduled to release in early 2026.
