Uber Plans to Equip Drivers’ Cars with Sensors to Support Autonomous Vehicle Data Collection

Sat, 02 May 2026 12:10:00 +0200

Uber is exploring a strategic shift beyond ride-hailing by aiming to transform its vast driver network into a large-scale data collection platform for autonomous vehicle (AV) companies. The company’s chief technology officer, Praveen Neppalli Naga, shared the vision at TechCrunch's StrictlyVC event, explaining that Uber plans to outfit drivers’ cars with sensors to gather real-world driving data. Currently, AV Labs, launched earlier this year, relies on a limited fleet of Uber-operated, sensor-equipped vehicles. The new approach would leverage millions of Uber drivers worldwide, potentially giving AV companies access to diverse, high-volume data without the need for extensive capital investments in their own fleets. Uber is also developing an 'AV cloud,' a repository of labeled sensor data that partners can query to train AI models or test them in 'shadow mode' on real Uber trips. While Uber positions this initiative as a democratization of AV data, the company’s equity stakes in AV st