Episode summary
Uber Partnering With Lucid, Nuro to Launch Robotaxis in 2026 | Bloomberg Intelligence
Bloomberg Intelligence
· · Hosts: Paul Sweeney, Lisa Mateo · Guests: Mandeep Singh, George Ferguson, Kenneth Shea
Summary
Uber is using a minority investment and partnership strategy to build out autonomous-vehicle supply rather than developing its own robotaxi fleet. An analyst said the Lucid deal and Neuro software tie-up let Uber hedge against dependence on Waymo or Tesla, while also expanding into premium EVs and other ride segments. The deal is aimed at scale, with the analyst pointing to Uber’s broader strategy under Dara Khosrowshahi and its recent market-cap gains as evidence that scale has become the company’s main advantage.
United Airlines sounded more constructive on the second half of 2025, with its chief executive saying demand improved when macro uncertainty eased after the tax bill passed and Middle East tensions cooled. An analyst said business travel is still lagging leisure, and that higher-end leisure remains a key driver of airline profitability. The analyst also argued fares are likely to stabilize rather than surge unless airlines cut more capacity, while Newark remains a tough operating point despite signs that FAA and airport fixes are helping.
PepsiCo got a relief rally after a quarter that looked more stable than its prior report. The analyst said organic growth beat expectations, margins widened, and innovation in protein drinks and smaller-pack snacks should help as consumers focus on protein and portion control. International growth and Pepsi beverages offset weakness in parts of the food business, and the company’s dividend policy remains a key support for income-oriented shareholders.
Key takeaways
- Uber is using Lucid and Neuro to add autonomous-vehicle supply without buying the business outright, a hedge against Waymo or Tesla not partnering more broadly.
- The analyst said Uber’s scale strategy has been the key differentiator versus Lyft and helped justify its roughly $188 billion market value.
- United’s management sounded more confident on demand, but the analyst still sees business travel lagging leisure and fares only stabilizing unless capacity is cut more.
- PepsiCo’s quarter was described as a stabilization report, with about 2% organic growth, wider margins, and international strength offsetting weaker food results.
- The analyst said PepsiCo’s protein drinks and smaller portion sizes fit GLP-1 and value trends, while the dividend remains central to the stock’s appeal.
Notable quotes
“Uber is partnering with Lucid Neuro to launch robo taxis in 2026”
“it felt like there was a turning point at the end of June”
“I would describe today's rally in PepsiCo although more to a relief rally”
How the episode opens
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio, news. You're listening to the Bloomberg Intelligence Podcast. Catch us live weekdays at 10 a.m. Eastern — On Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business App. Listen on demand wherever you get your podcasts or watch us live on YouTube.
Lis Matteo, Paul Sweeney live here in the Bloomberg Interactive Broker Studio in Midtown Manhattan. streaming live on YouTube as well. So check us out there. You can search Bloomberg Live Radio. All right. Uber is partnering with Lucid Neuro to launch robo taxis in 2026. I I'll do a robo taxi. I mean, I get in a car every morning with a dude I do not know.
True. — And I trust him to get me from point A. — But there's someone behind the wheel. — Yeah, but I don't know who this dude is. But I mean I don't know. There's like 27,000 sensors on these things. It's I don't know. Mandep saying he knows. He does his stuff. Senior tech industry analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence. What's Uber strategy for robo taxis? Cuz you could argue that boy that would totally impact their business model. Uber if I don't need to share my money with them.
I mean Uber's strategy under this CEO Darra Kasher Shahi ever since he's taken over is to build scale when it comes to both supply and that translates into adding more services. So that's why they expanded on the delivery side in such a big way. You know, they added food delivery, grocery delivery. It was all about
Drizzly, which is the booze guy. — The booze guy. Yes. — Look, uh and and now they're doing the same with autonomous vehicle supply. So they have a partnership with VHO in two cities, but then they're at the mercy of either a Whimo or Tesla partnering with them.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- robotaxis launch timeline
- uber partnerships
- airline earnings
- pepsico earnings
- consumer snacks demand
Companies and tickers mentioned
- UBER
- LCID
- UAL
- PEP
- Uber
- Lucid Group
- Nuro
- United Airlines
- PepsiCo
Watch the episode
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
More from Bloomberg Intelligence
-
Anthropic’s IPO Is Said to Be About Six Times Oversubscribed | Bloomberg Intelligence -
Instant Reaction: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Ousted by Nvidia Board | Bloomberg Intelligence -
Nvidia’s Huang Ousted by Board in Move That Roils AI Economy | Bloomberg Intelligence -
CoreWeave Shares Soar After AI Computing Firm Eases Debt Fears | Bloomberg Intelligence -
Anthropic Targets $1.4 Trillion Valuation in Blockbuster IPO | Bloomberg Intelligence -
Nvidia Probe Into CEO Affair Raises Thorny Questions for AI | Bloomberg Intelligence
Bloomberg Intelligence, this episode and its artwork belong to Bloomberg. Octagon is not affiliated with the show; this page is an independent summary.
