• Uber says it's 'on track' for an IPO in 2019.
• Uber's incoming CFO had previously expressed skepticism about the likelihood of a 2019 IPO.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said on Wednesday the ride-hailing company was on track to launch an initial public offering next year and had no plans to sell its self-driving car research arm.

Khosrowshahi told Reuters in an interview that the company was not planning to sell its Advanced Technologies Group, which develops the company's self-driving car technology, "at this time." Investors have reportedly pressed Uber to sell off that unit and focus on its core ride-hailing business as it marches towards IPO.

"Ultimately, it is a big asset that we are building and we can monetize that in whatever way we want to. It's not something we're thinking about it at this point," he said. Khosrowshahi also said the company was "quite optimistic" the company would be able to resume testing of self-driving cars later this year after a fatal crash involving an autonomous Uber car in Tempe, Arizona in March.

In August, incoming Uber CFO Nelson Chai said that he wasn't necessarily on board for a 2019 IPO. However, a spokesperson for the company told Business Insider that the company was still on track for that timetable - a timetable now reinforced by Khosrowshahi.