Uber launches self-driving rides with Waymo: here’s how to book them
It’s soon going to be easier to hail a self-driving ride — if you live in Austin or Atlanta. Uber and Waymo, the self-driving arm of Google’s parent company Alphabet, are to collaborate to bring the robotaxi service to the two cities via the Uber app. Starting in 2025, Uber will manage and dispatch Waymo’s fleet of fully autonomous, all-electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, allowing you to choose a driverless ride at the start of your trip.
“Waymo’s mission is to become the world’s most trusted driver, and we’re excited to launch this expanded network and operational partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta so we can bring the benefits of fully autonomous driving to more riders,” Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in a statement.
As part of the partnership, Uber will manage tasks such as cleaning and repairing vehicles, while “Waymo will remain responsible for testing and operating the Waymo Driver, including roadside assistance and certain rider support features,” the companies said.
Waymo is currently working on testing in Austinand members of the public in both Austin and Atlanta can participate in a interest list and receive a notification when it’s time to drive.
Check this out: Testing Waymo’s Safe Exit Feature in a Self-Driving Taxi
For now, only Waymo employees can hail fully autonomous rides in Austin. The company says it will welcome a “limited number of early riders” in the coming weeks via the Waymo One app before we switch to the Uber app next year. You can download the Waymo One app at iOS And Android.
In Atlanta, travelers will be able to book a driverless ride through the Uber app starting in early 2025.
Waymo currently operates fully autonomous rides for the general public in the San Francisco and Phoenix areas, and for select members of the public in Los Angeles. The company says it provides more than 100,000 rides per week in those cities. I’ve taken several rides in San Francisco myself, and as daunting as it can seem at first (especially watching a steering wheel turn on its own), I quickly adjusted and it soon felt like a regular ride.
That’s not to say there hasn’t been pushback as Waymo rolls out to more cities. The company’s vehicles have been involved in a handful of high-profile crashes, including one with a motorcyclist in San Francisco, and another involving a towed pickup truck in Phoenix. (The recalled and its software updated (to address the issue.) In response to the concerns, Waymo says that over 14.8 million miles, the autonomous Waymo Driver was “up to 3.5x better at avoiding accidents causing injuries and 2x better at avoiding police-reported accidents than human drivers in SF and Phoenix.” The company also released a data hub earlier this month, detailing efforts to improve road safety using its technology.
Taking a ride in Phoenix
Phoenix was the first city to open fully autonomous Waymo rides to the public in 2020. To request a ride, download the Waymo One app — no waiting list needed. Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For a taste of what’s to come in Austin and Atlanta, you can also use the Uber app to summon one of Waymo’s vehicles in Phoenix. When you request an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric ride, you’ll have the option to confirm a Waymo ride if you’re matched.
Next to take a rideyou can also your Uber Eats meal delivered by self-driving car. When you place an order in the Phoenix area, you may get a message that “self-driving vehicles can deliver your order.” When the Waymo car arrives, you’ll take your phone with you to pop open the trunk and retrieve your order. You can turn this off during checkout if you’d rather have a human deliver your food.
Taking a ride in San Francisco
San Francisco followed Phoenix’s lead and rolled out fully autonomous rides by the end of 2022. In June, the waitlist was eliminated, so now anyone can simply download the Waymo One app to ride anytime. The service is also active 24/7. There is currently no Uber partnership in San Francisco.
In August, Waymo expanded its ride-hailing service to the San Francisco Peninsula, adding 10 square miles and locations in Daly City, Broadmoor and Colma. The company now operates across 55 square miles of the Bay Area.
Taking a ride in Los Angeles
In LA you have to sign up for a waiting list before taking a ride with Waymo. The company also expanded its services in the area in August, and now covers 200 square miles of LA County.
First, download the Waymo One app and create an account to get on the waitlist. Waymo will then contact you when it’s your turn. If you have an invite code, you can enter it into the app to start ordering rides.
The way forward
In August, Waymo unveiled the sixth generation of its self-driving technology, which aims to expand the capabilities of its self-driving fleet. Smarter sensors will help the cars better navigate extreme weather. The sixth-generation driver will come aboard the all-electric Zeekr vehicle, which features a flat floor, more head and legroom, adjustable seats and a removable steering wheel and pedals. The updated technology is still being tested, and the company says it will be available to drivers soon.
Currently, regular drivers can’t take a Waymo vehicle on freeways and interstates, but that could change soon. The company is testing fully autonomous rides on freeways in phoenixas seen in an exclusive video shared with CNET in May.
Waymo is working to expand its autonomous driving technology to trucks as well, but the company said last year that it scaling back those efforts to focus on ride-hailing with Waymo One for the time being. It noted: “Our continued investment in improving Waymo Driver capabilities, particularly on highways, will directly translate to freight transportation and benefit development efforts.”
