engineering hub
Uber autonomous vehicle Volvo XC90 in San Francisco. Credit: Dllu.

Uber Technologies has unveiled plans to set up a new $150m engineering hub for autonomous cars in Toronto, Canada.

Investment in the centre will continue for five years and enable Uber to further expand its self-driving car operations despite recent setbacks.

With a focus on improving the company’s engineering capabilities, the new hub will fast-track its work in artificial intelligence.

The new engineering hub is scheduled to become operational by early next year. It will hire 300 new employees, bringing the company’s total headcount in Toronto to 500.

“However, Uber’s self-driving car business lagged behind its competitors after a crash that killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona, US.”

It is believed that expanding in Toronto will provide the US-based company better access to a wider talent pool.

Uber Technologies CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told The Canadian Press: “We need to move beyond the car as being the main urban transportation mechanism. I believe a revolution is coming. We really want Uber to be the one-stop shop for mobility in any city.”

In May last year, Uber opened a self-driving car research centre in Toronto and appointed University of Toronto associate professor Raquel Urtasun as its head.

However, Uber’s self-driving car business lagged behind its competitors after a crash that killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona, US.

Following the fatal incident, the company suspended all trials of its autonomous cars, axed hundreds of test drivers, and closed down its operations in Arizona for testing driverless cars.

The latest move comes after a $500m investment from Toyota Motor to jointly work on developing self-driving cars.