Hertz Global Holdings saw its stock climb 22% on Thursday after announcing two strategic fleet-management agreements with Uber Technologies through its new affiliate, Oro Mobility. The deals position Oro as a key operator for both autonomous and driver-led services that will run on Uber's ride-hailing platform.
Under one arrangement, Oro will deliver day-to-day fleet management for Uber's autonomous robotaxi program using Lucid vehicles outfitted with Nuro AV technology. The scope of Oro's responsibilities includes charging, maintenance, repairs, cleaning, and staffing depots, according to the announcement. Those autonomous services are scheduled to begin in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year, with the potential to expand in 2027.
In parallel, Oro has agreed to supply strategic fleet services that rely on human drivers employed by Oro. That program follows a pilot in Atlanta last year and is already active on the Uber platform in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Northern New Jersey is expected to be added in the spring.
Hertz emphasized that Oro leverages the company's long-standing expertise in large-scale fleet operations. "Hertz has spent over a century mastering complex fleet operations at scale, and Oro is how we put that expertise to work in the next era of mobility," said Gil West, CEO at Hertz.
Uber leadership framed the partnership as a way to integrate autonomous technology into its existing network while continuing driver-led services. "Partnering with Hertz's Oro Mobility will help us continue to bring the best autonomous technology onto the Uber platform and accelerate the transition to a hybrid network in which both driver-led and autonomous rideshare operations can scale and serve communities reliably and efficiently," said Andrew Macdonald, President and COO of Uber.
The new agreements build on an existing relationship under which Hertz operates one of the largest rideshare rental fleets globally for Uber. Oro's dual role - managing autonomous robotaxis and operating driver-driven vehicles - underscores a hybrid strategy that pairs autonomous vehicle programs with traditional rideshare operations on Uber's platform.
Timing and scope are clearly specified in the announcement: the autonomous Lucid-Nuro program will begin in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year with possible expansion in 2027, while the driver-led Oro-operated fleet has moved from an Atlanta pilot to active operations in Los Angeles and San Francisco, with Northern New Jersey slated for this spring.
What to watch next
- The scheduled launch of the autonomous robotaxi services in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year.
- How Oro scales depot staffing and vehicle asset management responsibilities tied to Lucid vehicles using Nuro AV technology.
- Expansion timing for broader deployments in 2027 and the Northern New Jersey launch in spring.