Mobileye returns to robotaxi ambitions, plans US city service in 2027

Mobileye, an Intel subsidiary and publicly traded company, said Tuesday it plans to launch a robotaxi service in a U.S. city in 2027, marking an expansion beyond its supplier strategy. The Israeli-based company did not disclose the city but said it will start with an initial fleet of 100 autonomous vehicles, phased in throughout 2027. If successful, Mobileye plans to scale to about 17,000 robotaxis over the following five years.

Mobileye founder and CEO Amnon Shashua stated that the robotaxi revolution has only just begun and its potential for transforming travel continues to increase. He noted that the industry has become increasingly dependent on a small number of technology providers and business models.

The company rose to prominence supplying automakers with computer vision chips for safety features and advanced driver assistance systems. It later developed chips and software for autonomous driving, testing the tech in several cities. Currently, Mobileye supplies its self-driving system to Volkswagen and its MOIA subsidiary.

These robotaxi aspirations are not entirely new. In a 2018 interview with TechCrunch, Shashua said he believed the "Holy Grail" was passenger car autonomy, but to get there he needed to pursue robotaxis. "The realization is that you can’t reach that Holy Grail if you don’t go through the robotaxi business," he said at the time.

Mobileye will create a new operating business for the robotaxi service, which will use its self-driving system. The company will manage the fleet and leverage its transit app Moovit for the consumer-facing side. Although Mobileye did not name the vehicle to be used, a press release photo shows what appears to be a modified Ora iQ, an electric crossover from Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors.

Shashua emphasized that this initiative is not a replacement for existing partnerships but an extension. "We remain deeply committed to enabling automakers and mobility providers with Mobileye Drive. At the same time, operating our own service allows us to accelerate adoption, gain direct operational experience, and showcase the full potential of autonomous mobility," he said.