Uber's autonomous unit has its own CEO and a billion-dollar investment



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As Uber finally gets closer to its IPO, its autonomous automotive unit receives a big injection of funds and a certain independence. The company announced tonight that Toyota, Denso and Softbank are investing a total of $ 1 billion in its state-of-the-art technology group (Uber ATG), in a deal valued at $ 7.25 billion. This is in addition to Toyota's $ 500 million investment last year, which should lead to the creation of a standalone fleet based on Toyota's Sienna minivan.

Until now, many large auto companies have partnered to develop standalone technology combined with carpool angles, as this market is expected to be huge in the next few years. Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, said, "The development of automated driving technology will transform transportation as we know it, making our streets safer and our cities more livable." Today's announcement, as well as our current relationships with suppliers and suppliers, will help maintain Uber's position at the forefront of this transformation. "

In the statement, Toyota EVP, Shigeki Tomoyama, said: "Leverage the strengths of Uber ATG's autonomous vehicle service and technology network and the Toyota Group's vehicle control technology, its ability to Mass production and advanced safety assistance systems, such as the Toyota Guardian ™, will enable us to: market more secure and cost-effective automated carpool vehicles and carpool services. "

The agreement will not be reached until the third quarter, which should be well after the IPO of Uber, which is expected to take place in May. This announcement was also announced after Arizona prosecutors announced that they did not consider the company criminally responsible for a car accident in 2018 causing the death of the company. ;a pedestrian. This transaction makes Uber ATG its own corporate entity controlled by Uber. According to Reuters, Eric Meyhofer, president of ATG, is attached to the new board of directors. Six of them are appointed by Uber, one by Toyota and one by Softbank.

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