Uber Launches UberBOAT In Lagos, Charges 500naira Per Trip - Photos

Just as Gokada that teamed with Lagos Boats, global ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc on Friday launched a pilot test of a boat service in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos to attract commuters seeking to avoid the megacity's notoriously congested roads.

The waterway service, UberBOAT, is operated in partnership with local boat operator Texas Connection Ferries and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), said the ride-hailing firm.

"This initiative is aimed at providing commuters with an easy and affordable way to get in and out of the city's business districts," Uber said in a statement.

The pilot phase will operate on weekdays from 8am to 5pm on a fixed route between two locations in the city.

Passengers will be charged a flat fare of 500 naira per trip, compared with about 300 naira by minibus for a similar journey. 

The boat service, priced at 50% of current fares, is “aimed at providing commuters with an easy and affordable way to get in and out of the city’s business districts,”

The Uber Boat Pilot launched by Lagos Gov., Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Five Cowries Boat Terminal, Ikoyi today alongside the MD/CEO, Lagos Ferry Services, Hon. Ladi Balogun; GM, Lagos State Waterways Authority, Mr. Emmanuel; Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Oladeinde & others.

A Glitch At Uber's Server Charges Riders 100 Times More Than The Original Price

A glitch in Uber's systems on Wednesday led to people being charged 100 times what their ride should have cost. One user was charged $2,053 dollars (740,000 naira) on a ride instead of $20.53 (7401 naira).

The problems first surfaced in Washington, D.C. and San Diego but have since been reported as far afield as Paris. Similar issues have been reported for the UberEats service. Some customers received alerts from their banks about the charges or had their credit cards put on hold.

Uber says the issue has been resolved and apologized for the problems caused, reports the Washington Post: "We understand that this has been frustrating. There was a known issue that caused your authorization hold to be very high. Our team has already fixed this issue. Thank you so much for your patience."

The inflated fares will be corrected to the right amount, so customers don't need to call their bank to dispute the charges. However, the charges will continue to appear on credit card or bank statements "temporarily."

However, customers aren't happy about the charges or about Uber's lackluster customer service response:

See The Breathtaking Concept Proposal for Uber Air Skyport By Corgan

Imagine a Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Port Harcourt where you can park your chopper close to your office and get in where you are done for the day.

Uber wants to revolutionize the way we travel, and the future of urban air mobility might be closer than you think. No, it’s not a chopper, it’s something more affordable transportation service that we common people would have access on it. Just imagine soaring above traffic where you can arrive at your office or airport at the right time. Corgan CONNECT | EVOLVED is a concept proposal for an Uber Air Skyport, this infrastructure features scalable, connected, and sustainable design that would change the way we travel.

Corgan prefers to implement scalable design that integrates with existing infrastructure and considers its environmental impact. This futuristic skyport is comprised of a kit of parts that can be customized for a variety of budgets and locations, therefore, it can be installed in most places to encourage a lifestyle of aerial mobility and connectivity.

Corgan Architecture and Design Firm has designed a Connection Plaza for this scenario. It’s a gateway and meeting point for a community that includes restaurants, retails, hosts cultural or art events, it also connects to last mile transportation services such as bike and scooter charging stations. Uber lobby would become the first touchpoint where passengers and UberAir can meet. The reception services can help passengers to customize their air travel experience with biometric ticket and security validation, everything can be done in less than a minute. Next, passengers can go to the Quick Queue Lounge on the elevated Flight Deck. On this deck, eVTOLs would be in constant and fluid motion, especially during peak hours with potential of 25 takeoffs and 25 landings every hour, carrying over 200 passengers per hour.

CONNECT | EVOLVED Air Skyport for Uber has been designed to be a practical system of modular components that can be built upon demands for urban air mobility. As demand grows, it would be easy to expand and create additional landing or parking pads with minimal additional development. The sustainable design of this skyport utilizes innovative water management systems, air purification methods, and on-site energy generation. It harnesses kinetic energy of visitors through the floors, while green spaces such as urban farms, parks, and playgrounds help reduce the heat island effect in cities. During the day, it harvests sunlight to create soft illumination during the evening.

Corgan selected sites for this design is Dallas/Fort Worth area, it’s the primary launch market for Uber Air. Dallas and its surrounding suburbs often experience daily population fluctuations due to visitors moving between downtown and the suburbs. Bound by a series of highway barriers, Uber Air offers an opportunity to not only connect tourists but also neighbors and residents that are separated by intrusive infrastructure. CONNECT | EVOLVED Air Skyport could build the future of urban air mobility by 2030.

Watch the video below...

HR Expert, Funmilola Bucknor Narrates Her Ordeal With Uber, Taxify Riders In Lagos

For those who know Funmilola Bucknor popularly known as HR Madam will agree that she is not afraid to speak her mind even it means breaking protocols, she will speak up! Ms. Funmilola is a consultant and certified HR personnel.

Funmilola took to her page to explain her ordeal in the hands of Uber and Taxify riders, according to her, I have suffered in this Lagos especially when it comes to Uber guys... read her account below...

I have suffered in the hands of Uber/Taxify drivers in this Lagos ehn... no be small.

That's how I ordered one on Sunday. He arrived in a car with tinted glass. Let me tell you, it was on Sunday that I discovered that tinted glasses get levels. Se ni windows ehn dudu rakiraki.It was so dark it was overwhelming even from outside.

I said oga sorry, I can't enter your car because of your tinted windows. Let me cancel and order another one.
He didn't even let me land before he gave me one long hiss and then told me to kosi kuro niwaju motor mi jare.

I was like, you zay?!!
Is it by force that I must enter your car ni abi you want to kidnap mi ni?

He said ehn ehn ehn? Baba e ni kidnapper. Baba e ni armed robber. He crowned it by calling me asewo kobokobo.

Hian!! I said okay o, sha carry your car and go o.
He said I should book another ride and let him see nah. That he will not allow anybody to pick me there.

I carried my two left legs and left him there o. He was still huffing and puffing and beating his chest that no other driver will be allowed to pick me.
Me, I did not have energy for that drama. Not on a Sunday pls.

I took another one yesterday from Yaba to Ikeja.
Estimated price was about N1,200.
This guy refused to use maps o. That's how we were going round and round and round.
Only for me to get down from the car after he dropped me... uber charged me N4,800 for thar ride!!!! Azzin four tazan lounloun! Se mo trafu ni?
Kia kia, I contested it and the fare was adjusted and I got my refund.

Uber and Taxify will not kill me for my mother lailai.

Meanwhile, my mom is grounded! She is not allowed to travel anywhere for a while unless I'm the one taking her. She cannot give me heart attack abeg!!

Life sha. See reversal of roles.

There have been calls on Uber and other hailing companies in Nigeria to orientate and train their riders on how they speak, approach and talk to passengers, it has been said that most of these drivers are under depression and they are easily provoked at any given opportunity 

Credit:

Funmilola Bucknor

Uber is now using boats to beat India's terrible traffic

In an ever-evolving world where are no limits to innovation, ideas, and technology advancement, transportation companies like Uber are thinking outside the box to make everyone comfortable and reach their destination on time and in comfort.

Lagos being the heartbeat of Nigeria and West Africa has been battling with traffic, with a population of about 21million people, the city is groaning under the pressure of traffic jams and over-population. Mumbai is India's capital city and has same challenges as Lagos in terms of traffic and transportation and UBER seems to have a way to decipher this, the "Uber Boats".

Uber is offering a new way to beat traffic jams in one of the world's most congested cities — speedboats.

The ride-hailing company launched its Uber Boat service in India's financial capital, Mumbai, on Sunday. Uber customers can now book boats between three destinations on the city's waterfront.

Rides start at 5,700 rupees ($80) for a six or eight-seater boat and go up to 9,500 rupees ($132) for larger vessels that can accommodate 10 riders. The company will only accept bookings for an entire boat, not individual seats.

"Uber's vision is to create a multi-modal platform to better serve riders and the cities we operate in," Prabhjeet Singh, the company's head of cities for India, said in a statement.

"With Uber Boat, we will tap the vast potential of the city's waterways transport system," he added.
Mumbai is the first city in India — Uber's biggest market in Asia — to get the boat service. Uber Boat already operates in Croatia and Turkey, and the company has previously offered the service temporarily in cities like Baltimore, Boston, Cairo, Kiev and for the Cannes film festival in France.

The program in Mumbai launched this week on a pilot basis but will be expanded in the coming weeks, a company spokesperson told CNN.

Source:
CNN

Uber Partner Unveils Flying Taxi That Could Take To Skies Next Year

After showing off the cabin last year of the then-unnamed air taxi, a full-size model of Bell’s flying taxi concept landed at CES 2019 this week. The Bell Nexus is a 600 pound hybrid with a 150-mile range that uses a single turbine engine to generate electricity for the six-fan rotor design.

Bell was one of the first aircraft manufacturers to team up with uber in 2017 when the ride-hailing company first released its ambitious plan to create a network of city-based flying taxis. the nexus is Bell's attempt to enter the electric VTOL (eVTOL) market after already producing the 22 Ospreys and the forthcoming V-280 valor.

Bell recognizes that autonomous flight tech won’t be ready in time so as well as seating four passengers there is also space for a pilot in the cabin. as a result, Bell is currently working to develop advanced controls in an attempt to scale down the depth and breadth of flight training required.

The Nexus system will be designed to fly safely even if one of the fans becomes disabled. if the turbine engine in the hybrid propulsion system fails, the onboard battery will kick in to enable safe landing and even continue the flight. Bell has pulled in various partners to assemble the flying taxi. French jet engine specialist Safran will design the hybrid propulsion system; Thales, also French, will handle the flight control computers. batteries will come from EPS, flight control hardware from Moog, and avionics from Garmin. The company aims to have the Nexus in flight over a handful of major markets by ‘Mid-2020s‘, said Scott Drennan, director of innovation.

Uber launches its first bus service in Egypt

Uber is expanding its imprint on public transportation—this time with the establishment of a bus service.

The ride-hailing giant launched Uber Bus in Egypt on Tuesday (Dec. 4), the first country to roll out the service globally. The platform allows passengers to request for buses through the app, after which they are matched with other riders on the most suitable route. Riders are allowed to pay via cash or card and will only be able to request Uber Bus if their pickup and drop-off locations are within the currently-serviced neighborhoods in Cairo.

The announcement comes as competition for bus-booking services heat ups across the Egyptian capital. With traffic-clogged roads and badly-maintained bus and train services that experience crashes, Uber’s rivals have all looked into creating cheaper and more reliable alternatives to public transportation. Launched in 2017, the startup Swvl has partnered with hundreds of buses in both Cairo and Alexandria and recently bagged “tens of millions of dollars” in their Series B funding round. The Dubai-headquartered Careem has also launched its own bus service, with the aim of improving mobility around Cairo.

Uber said it was launching the bus option as part of efforts to improve its service in Egypt. The north African nation is one of Uber’s fastest growing markets, with over 150,000 drivers giving rides through its app in 2017 alone. The company’s chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi also said they will invest in a $100 million Egyptian customer support center and launched a simpler version of the app known as Uber Lite that works on Android phones and with low bandwidth.

A Kenyan Builds Africa First Flying Drone Taxi - Photos and Video

Africans are intelligent, creative and smart set of people who are doing great things all over the world. Such can said for this Kenyan who developed the first passenger drone in Africa.

Morris Mbetsa, a mostly self-taught inventor, and electrical engineer has built the first passenger drone in Africa. Inspired by companies like Uber and Volocopter, Morris set out to create this prototype to show the world that the people in Africa have the brain power to develop passenger drones, and ultimately to be the first nation in the world with flying taxis.

Morris explains how the different components of the drone, such as the electronic speed controllers (ESC), custom-made aluminum and steel motors, flight software, carbon propellers and batteries work together to create a passenger drone that can be flown autonomously, remotely or by manually with a joystick.

According to Morris, The drone we see in the video is not the final product but an open prototype that provides quick access to the various wires and components so that monitoring the operating temperatures and any troubleshooting of the hardware can be performed quickly and easily. After two successful test flights and post-flight checks

When asked what he wants to achieve with this project, Morris responds by saying that he not only wants to show that the people in Africa have the brain power to take things to the next level but also that flying taxis make a lot of sense in a country like Kenya where the roads are notoriously bad and suffer from flooding. Morris envisions his passenger drone first to be used for tourist flights over and around Nairobi and later on possibly in search and rescue missions. Ultimately he would like to see his passenger drone being used like Uber with an app on your phone and at a price that makes the service available to the masses.

See more pictures and video below..

Watch the video below...

Footage Courtesy:
Kenya CitizenTV

Battle for Africa: Uber and Taxify go into Okada business

At first, it was MaxGo, Nigeria's indigenous company that started the business trend of how you book for bikes through your app or through calls but this time around Uber and Taxify seem to take key interest in this business sector. In a battle for the soul of Africa, Uber and Taxify have renewed their rivalry and this time it is on motorcycles. Uber and Taxify have recorded massive success in cars as we can see the effects in Nigeria especially now, they have diverse with motorcycles. According to a report by TechCrunch, UberBoda and Taxify's Boda are new babies of the taxis giant in Africa.

Global ride-hailing rivals Taxify and Uber have launched motorcycle passenger service in East Africa. Customers of both companies in Uganda and Taxify riders in Kenya can now order up two-wheel transit by app.

uberBoda, as its branded, is Uber’s first motorcycle service offering in Africa, and second globally after Asia. For Taxify, it’s the first two-wheel launch in any of the company’s 20 plus international markets.

The moves come as Africa’s moto-taxis — commonly known as boda boda­s in the East and okadas in the West –upshift to digital.

Taxify’s “Boda” button

According to a rep of Taxify, he said, "For Taxify, the reasons for entering the market were two-fold, “We noticed there was a need for this service because boda haven’t been very well organized or regulated,”

“The other thing was people had to go search for boda-bodas. We want to bring the convenience we brought to regular taxis to the boda-bodas,” said Anoke.

The company has upgraded its Kenya and Uganda apps with a “Boda” button to order a two-wheel taxi.

Taxify also aims to bring the average boda boda ETAs in Nairobi to under four minutes, the current norm for its car services.

Boda boda rates for Kenya will be 30 Shillings base then 15 Shillings per kilometre (108 naira and 54 naira) compared to 85 and 30 for normal car service. Taxify takes a 15 percent cut.

On safety, the Taxify will only hire boda boda taxi riders licensed by Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and who have at least three years of experience.

Taxify will require their boda boda drivers have 2015 or later motorcycles that pass a company inspection “to ensure the quality is on point and our clients are safe,” said Anoke.

uberBoda

The prominence of motorcycle taxis in Uganda prompted Uber to launch uberBoda there, “We’re all about localization and boda moves Kampala,” “If we’re going to be a part of the mobility solution in Kampala, we can’t do that without having a boda product.”

Uber’s Uganda app will include an uberBoda request icon. uberBoda drivers must have proper motorcycle vehicle and taxi licenses to work with Uber, according to Lits. “In addition, we’re ensuring all drivers have two helmets and reflective jackets for their riders,” he said.

Uber expects uberBoda passenger costs to average roughly a dollar per fare. Lits estimates “there are nearly 2 million weekly boda trips happening in Kampala.” The uberBoda motorcycle service is starting with around 100 drivers.

As they gather research from early activity, both Taxify and Uber in Africa said they plan to look more deeply into motorcycle financing plans for drivers, expanded rider training, and ways to build more safety into the two-wheel taxi markets.

“By forcing Taxify boda boda riders to follow existing rules, like not riding more than two passengers at a time, it will rub off and have the kind of positive market disruption we want to see on the boda boda industry,” said Taxify’s Anoke.

“As we get more data as to drivers’ track records, that becomes a proxy for credit, which we’ll look to roll out to the boda industry,” said Uber’s Lits. As TechCrunch reported, Uber Africa experiments with many things the company doesn’t always do globally, such as cash payments and recently launching moto-rickshaw service in Tanzania.



Credit:
TechCruch

Busted: Uber Drivers Who Specialize in Robbing Female Passengers at Gunpoint Nabbed in Lagos

Two Uber drivers who specialized in robbing women of their valuables at gunpoint, have been arrested by the Lagos State police command.

According to The Guardian, the drivers, Fosta Rufus, 30, and Franklin Jogbodo, according to the Special Anti Robbery squad boss, Mohammed Sanusi, picked up their targets around Lekki, Ajah and Victoria Island areas of Lagos.

This is the second of such arrest of Uber drivers in Lagos. It was gathered that the suspects were accused of robbing their victims of valuables such as jewelry, expensive phones and cash, and their victims are mainly ladies who go out at night.

Lagos State police boss, Imohimi Edgal, who paraded the suspects at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja, said the suspects sometimes would follow their victims to an ATM machine from where they would force them to withdraw cash at gunpoint.

He added that the suspects have admitted participating in three different robbery operations in the past. “On one occasion the suspects collected the sum of N86,000 from their victim using her Access Bank ATM. They have both confessed to the crime.”

He said that a KIA Rio with registration number BDG 376 EP used in perpetrating the crime and other valuables, which including Samsung Galaxy 7edge plus and iPhone 6 plus, allegedly collected from their victims identified as Nancy Nzuegbo and Eze Chinonso, were recovered from the suspects.

The Lagos police boss said he has directed all Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers to maintain police visibility in major roads and neighbourhood across the metropolis.

“I have also directed them to carry out constant raids of back spots. We hope to sustain the current low crime rate in the state” he said.

In his confessional statement, Franklin denied robbing anybody, saying it was his friend, Fosta who dragged him into the problem. He said he was the one who introduced Fosta into the Uber cab business.

According to him: “I met Fosta while working with UBA as a driver. I met him again sometime this year. I helped him to register as an Uber driver. It was him who collected the phones that were found on us from some ladies."

UBER partners with Germaine Auto Centre for drivers maintenance

Uber on Friday sealed pact with Germaine Auto Centre - a Nigerian based auto service and maintenance company to provide maintenance services to its driver partners.

With the partnership, Uber driver-partners operating in Lagos can have their cars maintained and serviced at a world-class auto facility at stipulated fees.

The relationship between both companies, according to Uber, seeks to further reinforce Uber’s commitment to driver-partners and create ways for drivers to maximize their net earnings and enjoy the benefits that come with using the Uber app.

Country Manager for Uber Nigeria, Maria Rotilu told newsmen at the briefing that the overall objective of the partnership is to reduce maintenance cost for Uber drivers and encourage maintenance culture.

She also disclosed that three years after its debut in Nigeria, Uber had created 3,000 economic opportunities in Nigeria.

She said, “Driver-partners across Nigeria are extremely important to us, and we are constantly looking for ways to help them access more value through our many partnerships and further amplify the advantages that come to them from being valuable partners.

"Germaine Auto Centre is a market leader, and for as little as N3,000, they will provide vehicle maintenance services to Uber driver-partners in Lagos.

“With the current transportation and weather challenges being experienced due to the rainy season, we are happy to enter into this relationship with Germaine who will provide driver-partners with an affordable, reliable option of car servicing and maintenance.”

Managing Director, Germaine Auto Centre, Gbenga Omolokun said the partnership with Uber had positioned the company to expand its scope, saying Uber driver-partners would have immediate access to six Master Technicians, over 40 general technicians, affordable parts and vehicle solutions, and an added bonus of over 200 years working experience combined on all sorts of automobiles.

“At Germaine Auto Centre, our key focus is customer affordability and service efficiency. Dedicated resources have also been put in place to manage this process to ensure driver-partner satisfaction as well as quick turnaround", he added.

The vehicle maintenance package, which Uber driver-partners in Nigeria have access to, has gone live after a rigorous two-month successful pilot.

Toba, an Uber driver-partner, expressed delight with the partnership, saying it was in fulfilment of their demand during a focus group discussion with Uber.

“I was extremely happy when I heard about this new arrangement between Uber and Germaine Auto Centre - vehicle maintenance was one of the issues driver-partners had raised during the focus groups, and I’m glad that Uber listened to us and created a useful partnership like this

UBER Driving: Analyzing The Pros and The Cons, All You Need To Know

Prior to the question earlier raised here about Uber business and how to go about it, we decided to do a post The Cons and Pros of Uber Business in Nigeria.

For those of you who have no idea what UBER was, a quick update.

Uber works via an app which you download onto your smartphone and then input your credit card details.

You can book an Uber taxi at any time of the day or night via the app, which provides details as to how long it will take for the Uber to reach you. You can even watch the taxi coming towards you on a screen. And possibly one of the best parts about Uber is that you don’t need to have any cash on you to pay for the trip as it’s automatically deducted from your credit card via the app.

Now, anyone can own an Uber taxi and anyone can become an Uber taxi driver. It has effectively democratized taxi ownership, you could say. So the question is, should you invest in owning an Uber taxi or maybe even more than one?

We will highlight some PROs and CONs of the business to all who may have interest in the business. Uber has been in the news lately particularly in the area of drivers, kidnapping, robbery etc. we are not looking into that areas for now, we are concerned about the variability of the business and its profitability. UBER business is very profitable for drivers in Lagos and Abuja been the urban city. Lagos with a population of about 18million people and with the kind of transportation in the city, you are in for a good cash.

Requirements of Drivers

* Drivers Licence:  this can be obtained from the FRSC.
* Lagos state drivers institute ID card: this can be obtained from the Lagos State Drivers Institute.
* Background check: this is carried out after the driver has been accepted and has completed the training. It costs ₦20,000 but can be paid in 5 installments of ₦4,000 each. It is a check Uber carries out with the police, which demonstrates that you have no criminal convictions or charges against your name, and is for the safety of passengers.
* Contract agreement between the driver and the owner, this is if you are not the owner of the car you are driving.

In order to become an UberX driver, you must:

1. Have a newer, 4-door vehicle that passes any required state inspection,
2. You must be able to provide proof of insurance,
3.  You must have a clean driving record, and
4. You must pass a criminal background check.

Once approved, you download the Uber Partner app to your Android or iPhone, turn it on, and start accepting riders.

Pros of uber driving

Ultimate flexibility
An Uber driver can work as much or as little as they want. The phone/application can be turned on at any time to work and turned off just as eaily. Thus the driver creates their own schedule on the fly.

No boss overseeing
Although there is a manager for the drivers and sometimes they do give suggestions or pass on critique, for the most part there is no boss saying what to do and when. A driver is on their own prerogative to go where they please when they please. A drivers boss at times can be more the passengers. A driver has to maintain a 4.5 or above rating to not be cut from driving. While riders can get bossy at times, the good thing is it's not long before they are dropped off. The driver rates the passengers as well.

Meeting new people
There are people using Uber around town for all kinds of reasons. You might find there is a general demographic; but you will encounter all types of people of all ages using Uber to get around. Every person that gets in the drivers car creates an opportunity for social interaction.

Seeing new things
As people go to different places for different reasons you will get to see neighborhoods you didn't know about, hear of new events you didn't know were going on, and become more aware of the city that you drive in.

Listening to music or news while you work
Not all jobs allow a worker to listen to the stereo while they work. Although a driver should be conscious of what sounds might disturb a rider, generally listening to the stereo is admissible.

Free Time
Nothing makes a family man more happy than having time for his wife and kids. With Uber, you can decide to work at any time you wish to work, you can visit your kids at school, your wife at her shop and even attend to family issues that may require your attention.

Disadvantages of Uber Driving

Work/fares can be slow when you want them to be busy
There can be times when a driver wants to be taking fares and making money but the requets are low or there are too many drivers compared to passengers. It can be frustrating to want to work and be on-call but not be getting any.

An ineffective rating system
Customers rate a driver 1 to 5 stars, and unfortunately for drivers, a 4 star average is failing and being terminated.

No interaction with fellow employees
While it can be great to be working solo, at times a driver might want to communicate with other drivers. Uber doesn't provide a way for Drivers to interact.

Little recognition from the management/boss
The higher ups at Uber don't do much to recognize good performance of their drivers. You either are doing fine, or you are getting cut. In addition an individual drivers opinion or request can be very minute to the management.

Wear and tear on car
Drivers are responsible for all car expenses. This can add up to significant added depreciation and maintenance/repairs on a vehicle.

Seeing different characteristics of people
Drunk people can also be totally obnoxious and unreasonable. A lot of people take transportation to avoid drinking and driving. Although we sincerely believe that is the right thing to do, being ridiculously belligerent is not. Take for example club goers at Quilox, and those night crawlers.




Credits:
UberPeople
MrPepe
Google

Uber Fires Former Google Engineer at Heart of Self-Driving Dispute

Uber said Tuesday that it had fired Anthony Levandowski, a star engineer brought in to lead the company’s self-driving automobile efforts who was accused of stealing trade secrets when he left a job at Google.

What Mr. Levandowski did when he quit Google to start his own company, Otto, which was acquired by Uber for nearly $700 million last year, is the key question in a closely watched lawsuit that pits one of the world’s most powerful companies against Uber, a richly financed up-and-comer.

The stakes are enormous for both businesses. Google was a pioneer in autonomous car technology and has spent nearly a decade and hundreds of millions of dollars on its effort, which is now run through Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet. And Travis Kalanick, Uber’s chief executive, has said the future of his ride-hailing company, privately valued at nearly $70 billion, hinges on work being done to create cars that can drive themselves.

The dismissal of one of Uber’s most prized technical talents also points to the risks of the star engineering culture that has emerged in Silicon Valley in recent years, leading to giant paydays for a small group of employees.Continue reading the main story

That was certainly the case for Mr. Levandowski. Last August, when Uber announced it had bought Otto, Mr. Kalanick described Mr. Levandowski as “one of the world’s leading autonomous engineers,” a prolific entrepreneur with “a real sense of urgency.”

Uber agreed to pay $680 million — mostly in company equity — in exchange for the company’s technology and a team of experienced self-driving technology engineers. Mr. Levandowski and his staff would also be entitled to a small percentage of any profits earned from an Uber-owned, self-driving trucking business developed under Mr. Levandowski’s direction.

But just months after the acquisition, Waymo sued Uber in civil court, claiming that Uber was using trade secrets stolen from Google to develop Uber’s self-driving vehicles — a plan Waymo alleges was aided by Mr. Levandowski.