Uber Technologies and Waymo have announced an expansion of their existing autonomous ride-hailing partnership in the USA to the cities of Atlanta, Georgia and Austin, Texas.
Beginning in Q1 2025, Waymo Driver will be made available in both cities via the Uber app.
Uber will manage and dispatch a fleet of Waymo’s fully autonomous and all-electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, with the aim of managing hundreds more.
Riders who request an UberX, Green, Comfort or Comfort Electric will potentially be matched with a Waymo vehicle when available.
READ MORE: Inverness Airport trials autonomous vehicles to transport passengers
Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, said: “We’re thrilled to build on our successful partnership with Waymo, which has already powered fully autonomous trips for tens of thousands of riders in Phoenix.
“Soon, riders in Austin and Atlanta will be able to experience that same mobility, through a new fleet of dedicated autonomous Waymo vehicles, available only on Uber.”
Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, added: “Waymo’s mission is to be the world’s most trusted driver, and we’re excited to launch this expanded network and operations partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta to bring the benefits of fully autonomous driving to more riders.
“We’ve been delighted at the positive feedback from our Waymo One riders to date, and we can’t wait to bring the comfort, convenience, and safety of the Waymo Driver to these cities in partnership with Uber.”
Innovations and achievements in autonomous vehicles will be highlighted and celebrated at the second annual Robotics & Automation Awards on 06 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.roboticsandautomationawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable industry event – and to book your table!