Uber reports autonomous trips soared tenfold year-over-year in Q1 2026, with self-driving cars now operating in eight global cities

Autonomous trips on Uber's platform increased tenfold year-over-year during the first quarter of 2026. Self-driving cars are currently live in eight global cities, with expansion planned to 15 cities by year-end.

Uber operates an asset-light model where around 30 autonomous vehicle companies deploy their cars into its network. Drivers get access to Uber's 199 million monthly active users without building their own networks; Uber takes a cut of each ride without developing its own vehicles in-house.

In Q1 2026, human drivers would have been paid around $23.6 billion (44% of the $53.7 billion in gross bookings). Replacing that cost with autonomous vehicles could substantially increase Uber's earnings, since self-driving vehicles can operate around the clock with minimal downtime.