Uber’s customers in Austin may notice a new offer when they open the app and spoil a ride: an invitation to mark their interest in a waymo robot.
At present, this is not translated into a waymo that takes them. But soon.
THE “List of interest,” Launched on Wednesday, it is part of a collaboration between Uber and Waymo to operate a robot service on Austin and Atlanta in early 2025. The service is expected to start at Austin soon, though no company will share an official Start date. A new Robotaxi with a co-title was also revealed on Wednesday.
Robotaxi “Waymo On Uber” is the last example of Uber’s push back to autonomous vehicles. Uber took advantage of her own autonomous subsidiary, known as Uber Atg, through a complex agreement with Aurora in December 2020. Before that, ironically, Uber and Waymo were architects, heading to lawsuits claiming that the Uber stole commercial secrets belonging to Waymo (then part of Google/Alphabet, which today remains a majority shareholder) – Uber finally installed the costumes.
Uber has spent the last two years with its place in its population market. The company has worked with 14 autonomous vehicles that cover driving, delivery and truck-a handful of operating commercially. In December, Uber started the Robotaxi Rides with a Weride in Abu Dhabi and Waymo’s autonomous vehicles were available in the Uber app in Phoenix since October 2023.
But in Austin and Atlanta, the Waymo setting will be more exclusive.
According to the partnership, only Uber users will be able to spoil the Jaguar I-Pace autonomous vehicles fleet. (Waymo has operated its fleet in Phoenix and is now in the process of delivering this work to Moove.) Uber will handle the charge, maintenance and cleaning of autonomous vehicles, as well as management management to the robot through the application . Waymo will still monitor technology and autonomous functions, including rider help.
Waymo Robotaxis will be available to customers at a distance of 37 square miles of Austin, such as the city center, Hyde Park and Montopolis. Companies have said they are planning to expand this territory. Waymo Robotaxi’s fleet will be smaller to start – though Uber will not reveal a figure – and will eventually increase in hundreds of vehicles in both Austin and Atlanta in the coming years.
Uber said riders that match a Waymo will pay the same interest rate as human -driven options, such as Uberx or Uber Comfort.
Customers registered for the “List of Interest” will receive updates from Uber and increase the chances of fitting with a waymo autonomous vehicle during the launch, according to companies. To join, Uber’s customers in Austin must update the application and then go to the settings. From here, customers can click on driving preferences, where they need to see a list that includes autonomous vehicles.
