Waymo’s driverless robotaxis started transporting passengers throughout 65 square miles of the Atlanta metro area Tuesday morning, allowing Uber users to hail completely autonomous cars through the ride-hailing app.
As the two businesses compete to expand autonomous transport services across the country, the launch is the most recent extension of the collaboration between Uber and Waymo, owned by Alphabet. It brings self-driving technology to Georgia’s capital.
How The Service Operates
There are about 100 electric Jaguar I-PACE cars available for free matching with riders who want UberX, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric. When partnered with a Waymo vehicle, users are notified and have the option to refuse the autonomous ride in favor of a human driver.
“It’s okay if you’re not ready for autonomous yet,” an Uber representative stated. “You always have the opportunity to opt out, but I encourage you to take advantage of this really awesome experience of riding in an autonomous vehicle.”
Over time, there are plans to increase the fleet size and coverage area of the service, which now spans from Capitol View to downtown Atlanta to Buckhead. With round-the-clock assistance accessible via the app and in-car touchscreens, riders utilize the Uber app to unlock cars and begin journeys.
Partnership Growth
About 100 completely autonomous cars now use the Uber platform in Austin, where the company made its debut in March. The Atlanta launch comes after that. This marks a swift extension of their collaboration, which started in Phoenix in 2023 following the firms’ 2018 settlement of a contentious trade secrets case.
Uber’s Head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery, Sarfraz Maredia, stated, “We’re excited to continue strengthening our partnership with Waymo as we expand autonomous rides to Atlanta.”
Competition in the market for autonomous vehicles has increased as a result of the timing, which coincides with Tesla’s limited robotaxi launch in Austin last weekend.
Industry Background
Today, Waymo offers over 250,000 paid trips every week in its cities, which include Austin, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. While Uber sold its self-driving section to Aurora in 2020 and switched to partnerships with autonomous car firms, the company now runs the biggest commercial robotaxi service in the US.
San Francisco public safety officials, meanwhile, have expressed worries over autonomous vehicles after recording almost 600 instances of unannounced stops by autonomous vehicles between 2022 and 2023, including situations in which vehicles blocked rescue personnel.