After as soon as being rivals, Uber and Waymo first partnered in late 2023. | Supply: Uber
Waymo robotaxis are actually accessible in Austin completely by way of Uber. Waymo mentioned riders who request an UberX, Uber Inexperienced, Consolation, or Consolation Electrical might be matched with a Waymo absolutely autonomous all-electric Jaguar I-PACE automobile.
Uber riders will have the ability to go for a human-driven automobile if they like. Each providers might be priced the identical, the businesses mentioned.
Beforehand, Waymo provided rides in Austin solely to its workers. Waymo riders can at the moment journey throughout 37 sq. miles of Austin – from Hyde Park, to Downtown, to Montopolis – with plans to develop sooner or later.
In contrast to Waymo’s deployments in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix, Waymo robotaxis in Austin can be found completely by way of the Uber app. In keeping with Uber, the same deal is within the works for Atlanta subsequent.
As soon as the Waymo arrives, riders can unlock the automobile, open the trunk, and begin the journey – all from the Uber app. If help is required at any time, Waymo mentioned riders may have entry to 24/7 buyer help, accessible in each the Uber app and contained in the Waymo automobile.
Uber, Waymo go from rivals to companions
Whereas Uber and Waymo have been working collectively since 2023, issues haven’t all the time been easy crusing between the 2 corporations. Again when Uber was nonetheless creating its personal AVs beneath its Uber ATG unit, the businesses had been concerned in a lawsuit.
In 2016, Uber acquired autonomous trucking startup Otto for $680 million. The corporate later fired Otto co-founder Anthony Levandowski, who helped construct Google’s first self-driving automotive, in 2017 after Waymo sued Uber for stealing commerce secrets and techniques. The 2 corporations settled the lawsuit in February 2018 for $250 million in fairness. Two years after buying Otto, the corporate in July 2018 shut down the challenge in an try and salvage its self-driving automotive efforts.
In March 2018, an Uber self-driving automotive struck and killed a lady in Tempe, Arizona. This in the end led to Uber promoting its ATG unit to Aurora.
Waymo units its sights on Atlanta, Miami
Waymo’s subsequent deployment metropolis might be Atlanta. In January, the corporate introduced its giving absolutely autonomous rides to its workers within the metropolis. This is step one in direction of a public deployment firm has deliberate for later this 12 months with the assistance of Uber.
Waymo is a transparent chief within the robotaxi business. At present, it gives over 200,000 journeys per week throughout Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin. The corporate can also be planning to start testing its robotaxi service in Miami in 2025.
Final 12 months, the self-driving unit of Google’s mum or dad Alphabet launched its first service in Los Angeles and expanded providers in San Francisco and Phoenix. It additionally launched its sixth-generation robotaxi.
And that isn’t all. Along with the deployments and new automobile, Waymo closed a $5.6 billion funding spherical. The spherical was led by Alphabet and included participation from different huge buyers corresponding to Andreessen Horowitz, Constancy, Perry Creek, Silver Lake, Tiger World, and T. Rowe Value.
Whereas the corporate’s long-time rival, Cruise, is now not in operation, Waymo nonetheless faces competitors from robotaxi corporations like Zoox and Nuro, that are earlier of their deployment journeys. In 2024, Nuro expanded its capabilities utilizing zero-occupant automobiles with the Nuro Driver system, whereas Zoox grew its operations in California and Nevada. Throughout CES 2025, Mike Oitzman, senior editor at The Robotic Report, took a trip in a Zoox robotaxi.
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