Nuro Expands California Robotaxi Testing With New CPUC Drivered Pilot Permit

Nuro has received a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Drivered Pilot Permit, marking another step in the company’s expansion of autonomous mobility services in the United States. The newly issued permit allows the company to conduct autonomous passenger service pilot testing on public roads in California while operating vehicles with a safety driver present. The development supports Nuro’s broader robotaxi deployment plans alongside partners Lucid and Uber, as the company continues advancing testing and validation activities for its autonomous driving platform.

The CPUC Drivered Pilot Permit enables Nuro to transport passengers in autonomous test vehicles while maintaining a trained safety driver inside the vehicle during operations. This authorization follows the California DMV Driverless Testing Permit granted to the company in April 2026, which permits driverless testing of autonomous vehicles without a safety driver. Despite these approvals, the current permits do not authorize commercial paid ride services or completely driverless passenger transportation operations in California.

Nuro Autonomous Vehicle Permit Progress in California

Nuro stated that the new permit strengthens its ability to expand real-world validation programs for autonomous passenger transportation. The company is currently operating a fleet of nearly 100 engineering robotaxi vehicles built on the Lucid Gravity platform and integrated with the Nuro Driver autonomous system. These vehicles are supporting testing, validation, and operational data collection activities across multiple cities and states in the United States, helping the company refine autonomous driving capabilities under diverse road and traffic conditions.

Robotaxi Testing Fleet and Operational Scope

The robotaxi engineering fleet consists of Lucid Gravity vehicles equipped with Nuro’s autonomous driving hardware and software stack. The deployment is intended to accelerate validation of autonomous passenger mobility services while gathering operational insights from real-world driving environments. In April 2026, select Uber employees also began directly testing the autonomous ride-hailing experience through the Uber application in the San Francisco Bay Area as part of the ongoing pilot activities.

Nuro Robotaxi Testing and Permit Overview

The latest permit milestone highlights the continued progress of autonomous mobility development in California as companies expand pilot programs focused on passenger transportation services. Regulatory approvals remain an important part of autonomous vehicle deployment strategies, particularly for companies seeking to validate operational safety and scalability before launching commercial robotaxi services. Nuro’s collaboration with Lucid and Uber reflects the growing alignment between autonomous technology developers, vehicle manufacturers, and mobility platform providers in the evolving robotaxi ecosystem.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the CPUC Drivered Pilot Permit allow Nuro to do?
The CPUC Drivered Pilot Permit allows Nuro to conduct autonomous passenger transportation pilot testing on California public roads while operating vehicles with a trained safety driver inside the vehicle. The permit supports testing and validation activities involving passenger-carrying autonomous vehicles but does not authorize paid commercial ride services or fully driverless passenger transportation. It is intended to help the company collect operational data and refine autonomous driving performance before wider commercial deployment.

Are Nuro’s robotaxi services fully driverless in California?
Nuro has received separate authorization from the California DMV to conduct driverless autonomous vehicle testing without a safety driver. However, the newly granted CPUC Drivered Pilot Permit only covers passenger operations with a safety driver present inside the vehicle. Commercial driverless passenger services are not yet approved under the current permits. The company is still conducting testing and validation activities before broader deployment of fully autonomous commercial robotaxi operations.

Which vehicles are being used in Nuro’s robotaxi testing program?
Nuro is currently using Lucid Gravity vehicles integrated with its proprietary Nuro Driver autonomous driving system for robotaxi testing and engineering validation activities. The company operates nearly 100 such vehicles across several cities and states in the United States. These vehicles are being used to gather real-world operational data, improve autonomous driving performance, and support passenger testing programs conducted in partnership with companies including Lucid and Uber.