| Industry | Autonomous cars |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | , US |
| Products | Self-driving cars Delivery robots |
| Parent | Nebius Group |
| Website | www |
Avride is a developer of autonomous driving technology, specializing in autonomous cars and delivery robots. The company is headquartered in Austin, TX, and has additional offices in Tel Aviv, Israel; Belgrade, Serbia and Seoul, South Korea.
Avride originated from Yandex’s self-driving car project, which began developing autonomous vehicles in 2017. [1] The company was formed as a part of a broader corporate restructuring initiated by its Dutch parent company, Yandex NV (now Nebius Group), in 2022. The Dutch company performed a complete exit from the Russian market by divesting its Russian-based assets for $5.4bn [2] and leaving itself only its four international businesses, which include autonomous vehicles. The exit and restructuring were completed in July 2024 and Avride became an independent AV start-up under the umbrella of the Dutch Nebius Group. [3]
Avride focuses on a "universal driver" designed to operate in various conditions around the world, as well as on different platforms. The company's portfolio currently includes two autonomous products: autonomous cars and delivery robots.
As of 2024 the company conducts on-road testing of its autonomous vehicles in Austin, USA, [4] and in Seoul, South Korea, [5] specifically in the Gangnam district. Avride does not currently offer any publicly available robotaxi services. The company’s autonomous cars are expected to join Uber’s ride hailing platform as robotaxis in 2025. [6]
Avride’s autonomous cars are retrofitted Hyundai Ioniq 5’s. [7] The vehicles are equipped with lidars, radars, cameras and other sensors, as well as with computational hardware and various electronic units that collect data from sensors and the car, preprocess this information, and perform diagnostics.
Avride is operating a fleet of autonomous delivery robots, which are delivering foods from restaurants in the US and South Korea. [8] They navigate sidewalks at the speed of 8 km/h (5 mph) and can cross the roads using crosswalks and traffic lights. [9]
Robots are designed by the company [10] and utilize some of the software solutions it has developed for its autonomous cars. Like the company's cars, the robots are also equipped with lidars, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors. The robots are being produced in a factory in Taiwan. [11]
In October 2024 Avride and Uber entered a multiyear strategic partnership to bring Avride’s delivery robots and autonomous vehicles to Uber and Uber Eats. [12] As for the end of 2024 the robots are delivering orders from Uber Eats in Austin [13] and Dallas. [14] The next U.S. city to feature robotic deliveries is Jersey City, New Jersey. [15] The robotaxi partnership is expected to launch in Dallas in 2025. [16] Avride said the company expects to expand the total fleet of Avride robots operating within Uber Eats to hundreds in 2025, followed by the launch of the robotaxi service. [17]