Mobileye to launch US robotaxi service in 2027 with 100 initial vehicles

At a glance:

• Mobileye plans to launch a robotaxi service in a US city in 2027 with an initial fleet of 100 autonomous vehicles
• The company aims to scale to approximately 17,000 robotaxis over five years if successful
• The service will operate alongside Mobileye's existing supplier business using modified Ora iQ vehicles from Great Wall Motors

Mobileye, an Intel subsidiary and publicly traded company, is making a strategic shift from being purely an autonomous vehicle technology supplier to becoming a direct operator of robotaxi services. The company announced Tuesday that it plans to launch in a US city in 2027, marking a significant expansion beyond its traditional supplier model that has seen it provide computer vision chips and self-driving systems to automakers including Volkswagen.

This move places Mobileye in an interesting position in the autonomous vehicle ecosystem. While the company continues to supply its self-driving technology to automotive partners, it will simultaneously compete with those same partners in the robotaxi market. Mobileye supplies its self-driving system to Volkswagen and its MOIA subsidiary, creating a complex dynamic where the supplier becomes a direct competitor to its own customers.

The company's robotaxi ambitions are not entirely new. In a 2020 interview with TechCrunch, Mobileye founder and CEO Amnon Shashua articulated what he called the "Holy Grail" of passenger car autonomy - vehicles that consumers could purchase capable of full driverless operation. Shashua explained that reaching this goal required pursuing the robotaxi business first, as it provides the operational experience and data needed to develop truly consumer-facing autonomous vehicles.

Mobileye's strategy involves creating a new operating business for its robotaxi service while leveraging its ownership of Moovit, the transit and ride-hailing app. The company will manage the fleet directly and use Moovit's consumer-facing platform for customer interactions. Despite entering the competitive robotaxi market, Mobileye emphasized that this initiative complements rather than replaces its existing partnerships with automakers.

The technical implementation involves working with "AV-ready vehicle platform manufacturers" to deploy the autonomous vehicles. A photo illustration in the company's press release shows what appears to be a modified Ora iQ, an electric crossover produced by Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors. This partnership represents Mobileye's approach of collaborating with established vehicle manufacturers while applying its autonomous driving technology.

The scale-up plan is ambitious: starting with 100 vehicles phased throughout 2027, with aspirations to reach 17,000 robotaxis across the following five years. This expansion timeline reflects Mobileye's measured approach to scaling autonomous operations while gaining direct operational experience in the complex world of ride-hailing services. The company's dual strategy of supplying technology to automakers while operating its own service creates a unique position in the autonomous vehicle market, potentially allowing it to accelerate adoption and demonstrate the full potential of autonomous mobility.