Top Auto News Last Week: Uber Exits Nigeria, Launches UK Robotaxi, Tesla Debuts Steering-Wheel-Free Cybercab, Kaduna Gov Unveils 2026 Peugeot 3008 And 5008

Top Auto News Last Week: Uber exits Nigeria after 12 years, launches Robotaxi in UK, Tesla debuts steering-wheel-free Cybercab, Kaduna Gov unveils 2026 Peugeot 3008 and 5008.

Uber Exits Nigeria After 12 Years, Leaves Bolt And inDrive To Battle For Riders

On Wednesday, San Francisco-based company Uber Technologies officially ended its ride-hailing operations in Nigeria after 12 years, saying that the decision follows a review of its business priorities and investment strategy across Africa.

The company’s exit took effect on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, closing a major chapter in Nigeria’s app-based transportation industry and leaving millions of riders and drivers to adjust to a market now dominated by rival platforms.

The announcement comes amid a challenging operating environment for ride-hailing companies in Nigeria, where inflation, currency volatility, rising fuel costs and increasing vehicle-maintenance expenses have placed pressure on drivers and platforms.

A Day After Nigeria Exit, Uber Launches First UK Driverless Rides

Barely 24 hours after exiting its Nigerian operations, Uber, in collaboration with Wayve, has launched supervised autonomous rides in London, marking the first time autonomous trips have been available to the public in the United Kingdom.

Starting Thursday, September 3, the company said riders across London requesting UberX, Uber Electric, or Uber Comfort may be matched with an all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E equipped with Wayve’s AI Driver — at no extra cost.

At launch, 15 autonomous vehicles will operate in the city, with each initially offering supervised autonomous rides that require a trained and TfL-licensed private hire driver to be behind the wheel and ready to take control if anything goes wrong.

No Steering Wheel, Brake Pedal: US Launches Probe Into Elon Musk’s ‘Cybercab’ Self-Driving Taxis

On Thursday, September 3, Tesla officially launched commercial Cybercab rides in Austin, Texas, putting dozens of the two-seat electric taxis into its robotaxi network. The launch marked a major step in Elon Musk’s long-running plan to make fully autonomous transportation a mainstream reality.

Unlike most robotaxis that allow a safety driver to take over when things get out of hand, the Cybercab has no steering wheel, accelerator pedal or brake pedal. Tesla designed the vehicle to operate without a human driver, relying on its autonomous-driving technology.

Following the launch, the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an Audit Query (AQ) to evaluate the technical data and processes Tesla relied upon to self-certify compliance for a vehicle lacking traditional human controls.

Kaduna Governor Unveils 2026 Peugeot 3008 And 5008 SUVs, Urges Govt Patronage

On Friday, September 4, ​Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, unveiled the new 2026 Peugeot 3008 and 5008 SUVs at the Dangote Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited (DPAN) assembly plant in Kaduna, as the company steps up efforts to strengthen local vehicle manufacturing in Nigeria.

DPAN was established six years ago through a joint venture between Dangote Industries Limited, Peugeot—one of the flagship brands within the Stellantis portfolio—Kebbi State, and Kaduna State, the latter of which holds about 11.7 percent equity in the company.

​Designed to produce models including the Peugeot 301, Landtrek, 3008, 5008, and 508, DPAN’s greenfield assembly plant can assemble up to 120 vehicles per day across two shifts and boasts about 1,000 employees.

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