Uber CEO says competing with Elon Musk is ‘no easy matter’ — and would love to partner with Tesla on robotaxis

Tesla unveiled its robotaxi in California on October 10, 2024.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says going head-to-head with Elon Musk can be tough — so he’s open to partnering with him.

Khosrowshahi told the Financial Times that he would “love” to offer Tesla’s robotaxis on Uber’s ride-hailing platform when they are safe and ready to use.

“Obviously, competing with Elon Musk is no easy matter, and we take nothing for granted; we really want to partner with the autonomous industry,” he told the FT in an interview that aired Tuesday.

He sees three potential paths for Uber once Tesla launches its robotaxis: competing with the EV giant, working with Musk’s company to have its autonomous vehicles on its network, or combining the two.

Khosrowshahi said it’s “up to what Tesla does” but that Uber already has lots of its EVs on its platform, which he said “drivers love.”

He added: “We’d love to have it on the platform, but if not, I don’t think this is going to be a winner-take-all marketplace. We believe in the spirit of partnership; we’ll see what Tesla does.”

Uber ditched its efforts to develop its own driverless cars in 2020, and now it partners with autonomous vehicle makers Waymo and Cruise in a few cities in the US and with British firm Wayve, which it has invested in.

Last week, Tesla unveiled its upcoming driverless taxi, Cybercab, at its “We, Robot” event. Musk demonstrated the two-door vehicle at the event and then rode it around the lot at Warner Bros. Discovery’s movie studio in Burbank, California.

The billionaire said Tesla would start production of its robotaxi before 2027, although he said he hasn’t always been accurate about meeting timelines.

Uber and Tesla didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment from B-17, made outside normal working hours.