(1) (uber) A prefix that means the best. See
uber prefix.
(2) (Uber, Inc. San Francisco, CA) The first unlicensed taxicab service to use a mobile app for securing rides in vehicles owned by contracted drivers. Founded in 2009 by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, Uber has been a very controversial service from the start. One of the most disruptive technologies in history, the company has been hit with numerous lawsuits and government cease and desist orders due to complaints by licensed taxicab organizations. Nevertheless, Uber is thriving and is available in thousands of cities worldwide. See
disruptive technology,
Uber Access,
Uber Eats,
Lyft,
transportation network company and
gig economy.
Autonomous Ubers
Uber is currently testing autonomous package delivery in several cities across the U.S. In 2015, after hiring scientists from Carnegie Mellon's renowned AI lab, Uber began testing autonomous taxi service using modified Volvos. Unfortunately, in 2018, a woman was killed and the self-driving service was shuttered. In 2022, Uber partnered with Google to use its Waymo driverless taxis in Phoenix, and riders can elect to ride or not ride in an all-electric Waymo taxi. See
self-driving car and
Waymo.