Uber and Waymo Launch Autonomous Vehicle Rides in Austin

Uber said Wednesday (March 5) that it is now offering rides in autonomous vehicles in Austin, Texas, and will later do the same in Atlanta.

Riders who opt in for this offering on the Uber app in Austin could be matched with an autonomous vehicle from Waymo, Uber said in a Wednesday press release.

“With Waymo’s technology and Uber’s proven platform, we’re excited to introduce our customers to a future of transportation that is increasingly electric and autonomous,” Uber said in the release.

Riders who request an UberX, Uber Green, Comfort or Comfort Electric could be matched with one of Waymo’s fully autonomous Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, according to the release.

Before the vehicle is sent to pick them up, riders will have the option to accept the autonomous vehicle or request a ride with a driver, the release said.

When a Waymo vehicle arrives, riders can use the Uber app to unlock the vehicle, open the trunk and start the trip, per the release. They will be able to access customer service at any time through the app or inside the vehicle.

The autonomous vehicle rides will cover 37 square miles in Austin, according to the release. The companies plan to expand this range in the future.

“Atlanta is up next,” the release said. “Employees are already taking fully autonomous trips with Waymo in the city, a key step as we prepare to offer Waymo rides to the public there — only on Uber.”

It was reported in January that Uber and rival ridesharing company Lyft were both reinvesting in driverless cars after having abandoned the technology earlier.

The Jan. 6 Wall Street Journal report said that both companies were responding to signs that driverless technology could be about to blossom outside of a handful of “experimental markets.”

It was also reported in January that Waymo plans to test its vehicles — with a driver behind the wheel — in 10 new cities in 2025 so that it can see how its self-driving vehicles adapt to the traffic patterns, road design, weather conditions and other factors in different cities.

In Waymo’s core markets of San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles, the vehicles have already driven millions of miles.