Uber riders in Austin and Atlanta will be able to hail a Waymo robotaxi through the app in early 2025 as part of an expanded partnership between the two companies.
Waymo’s autonomous vehicles have been available on the Uber app in Phoenix since October 2023. This expansion comes at a time when Uber has been snatching up self-driving partnerships across its ride-hail and delivery verticals. Last month, Uber announced partnerships with GM’s Cruise and the U.K.’s Wayve.
Waymo runs its own commercial autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One, in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, providing around 100,000 trips per week, according to the company. The Alphabet-owned AV company began testing robotaxis in Atlanta and shuttling its own employees in Austin earlier this year; these are usually the first steps Waymo takes before it begins offering the Waymo One service in new markets. However, with this partnership, Waymo’s fleet of Jaguar I-Paces will only be hailable via Uber in Austin and Atlanta.
Waymo did note that in the weeks to come, a limited number of early riders will be able to access rides in Austin and Atlanta via the Waymo One app.
Waymo did not share how many vehicles it would dispatch in Austin and Atlanta, but said the fleet would “grow to hundreds of vehicles over time.” Uber will handle the fleet management services, like cleaning and repairing the cars, while Waymo will continue to be responsible for testing and operations of the Waymo Driver, including roadside assistance and other rider support functions.
The company said it would continue to own and operate Waymo One services in its existing markets, but it’s possible Waymo’s long-term plan involves extending such partnerships so it can focus on offering the technology-as-a-service, instead of putting resources into operations, which adds significantly to overhead costs.
Waymo did not respond in time to TechCrunch to clarify its partnership strategy in the future.
The expansion comes as Waymo continues to be under federal investigation after regulators in May received 22 reports of its robotaxis crashing or potentially violating traffic safety laws by driving in the wrong lane or into construction zones.
Source : Techcrunch
