Uber has announced a partnership with autonomous vehicle company Waymo for riders in Austin, Texas.
If you live in or around the Austin area you’ve likely seen some funky looking Jaguar SUVs cruising around. These Waymo autonomous vehicles have been in town for quite some time and have been available for select individuals to use. I had the chance to experience the service a few months back and found it to be very enjoyable.
Now, Waymo rides have been introduced to the public via the company’s partnership with Uber. Beginning today, riders who select a UberX, Uber Green, Comfort, or Comfort Electric vehicle in the Uber app could be matched with one of Waymo’s fully autonomous all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles.
At this time there is no way to specifically request a Waymo vehicle but, riders who are interested in trying out this service can boost their chances by opting in via the Ride Preferences section of their Uber app under Settings.
If you’re still on the fence about autonomous vehicles, the Uber app will allow you to switch to a non-Waymo option before dispatching your ride. However, I encourage everyone who has the opportunity to try out this service. Once the vehicle arrives, riders can unlock the vehicle, open the trunk, and start the trip via the Uber app.
Currently, Waymo vehicles only cover certain areas of Austin though, I can tell you from experience, the company is rapidly working on expanding the service area to places like Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and the suburbs surrounding the city.
In the same press release, Uber announced that Waymo is currently preparing to offer public rides in Atlanta in the near future. This is possibly due to Delta’s new partnership with Uber.
Summary
Uber has partnered with Waymo to offer autonomous rides in Austin. Riders requesting select vehicle types via the Uber app may be matched with a Waymo vehicle but can opt out of the ride if they so choose. I’ve had great experiences with Waymo rides and I’m excited about this being deployed to the public.