Uber and Waymo have expanded their existing partnership to make Waymo Driver available in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia via Uber.

Waymo Driver is the company’s autonomous driving technology. Beginning in early 2025, Waymo and Uber will bring autonomous ride-hailing to both cities on the Uber app, according to a joint news release from the companies.

Uber will manage and dispatch a fleet of Waymo’s fully autonomous, all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles; over time, there will be hundreds available, according to the release. Riders who request an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric may be matched with a Waymo for qualifying trips.

“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,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, in the release. “Soon, riders in Austin and Atlanta will be able to experience that same mobility magic, through a new fleet of dedicated autonomous Waymo vehicles, available only on Uber.”

Uber says it will provide fleet management services through the expanded partnership including vehicle cleaning, repair, and other general depot operations. Waymo will continue to be responsible for the testing and operation of Waymo Driver, including roadside assistance and certain rider support functions, the release says.

“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,” said Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo co-CEO, in the release. “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.”

On Sept. 5, Waymo also launched a new data hub that compares Waymo Driver’s crash rates to that of human drivers in the cities where the AVs operate.

“It leverages best practices in safety impact analysis, invites researchers to replicate the results, and will be regularly updated,” Waymo said on its blog. “This road safety hub provides an unprecedented level of transparency within the autonomous driving industry.

“Transparency and accountability are essential to achieving our mission to be the world’s most trusted driver. As we continue to scale our operations incrementally and deliberately across Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, the Waymo Driver’s positive impact on road safety becomes increasingly evident. To empower communities with a deeper understanding of our safety record, the new data hub shows how the Waymo Driver’s crash rates compare to humans.”

In April, Waymo’s AVs began delivering food for Uber Eats without a driver in the driver seat in the Arizona cities of Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler.

An Uber Eats press release says consumers are notified when their food delivery arrives via the Uber Eats app. The customer then will be required to use their phone to unlock the Waymo vehicle to retrieve their items.

In August, rival robotaxi companies Waymo and Cruise were given approval to operate in San Francisco at all hours following millions of miles driven on public roads and billions in driving courses and simulations.

Amid safety concerns, including blocking emergency vehicles, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) granted driverless deployment permits to the rival companies. The approval made San Francisco the first major U.S. city with two fleets of driverless vehicles competing for passengers against ride-hailing and taxi services, such as Uber and Lyft.

Images

Featured image: Waymo’s all-electric Jaguar I-PACE (Provided by Waymo)

Safety data graphic provided by Waymo