Ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc. is preparing to plant roots in metro Detroit.
At an event hosted Monday by the Society of Automotive Engineers in Novi, Uber’s vice president of global vehicle programs Sherif Marakby said the company is planning to open a facility in the Detroit area. The news follows Uber’s launch of an autonomous vehicle ride-hailing program in Pittsburgh last week.
The office will help Uber collaborate with automakers and suppliers based in the area to develop and modify its autonomous fleet.
“The facility in Detroit is collaborating with the tier ones … because we are not going to be designing our own hardware,” Marakby told Automotive News.
The exact location, size of the facility and number of employees have yet to be determined.
The Detroit area, like Pittsburgh, could also become a testing ground for Uber’s self-driving hailing service.
“We’re working with the state,” Marakby said. “We’re very optimistic.”
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– Automotive News is a Crain Communications Inc. publication. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
