Uber and Waymo to launch driverless ride-hailing services in Austin and Atlanta

Uber and Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle division, announced a major expansion of their partnership on Friday, revealing plans to introduce driverless ride-hailing services in Austin and Atlanta beginning in early 2025.

Under the new agreement, Uber riders in Austin and Atlanta will be able to book rides in Waymo’s driverless vehicles through the Uber app. This is a departure from the current model in San Francisco and Los Angeles, where riders use the Waymo app to access autonomous vehicles. A Waymo spokesperson confirmed that there are no plans to integrate Uber's app for Waymo services in San Francisco or Los Angeles.

This expansion is part of Uber’s broader strategy to enhance its autonomous vehicle offerings and resulted in a 5% surge in stock price. Alphabet's stock rose by about 1%.

Increasing investor pressure

The move comes as Uber faces intensified competition and investor scrutiny, particularly with Tesla's upcoming robotaxi event scheduled for October 10. Uber's stock has experienced a 9% decline since the event was announced and is down 17% from its 52-week highs.

Waymo, which has seen substantial growth in its autonomous vehicle operations, reported a significant increase in paid robotaxi trips. As of May 2024, Waymo’s 50,000 weekly rides accounted for roughly 2% of ride-sharing usage in San Francisco. The company has since doubled its weekly trips to 100,000.

A new chapter for Uber’s autonomous fleet

The expansion into Austin and Atlanta builds on the existing successful partnership between Uber and Waymo in Phoenix. This collaboration has already provided fully autonomous rides to tens of thousands of riders in the city. The new rollout will not initially include Uber Eats deliveries, but there are plans to explore this option in the future.

Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “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.”

Waymo has made significant strides in the autonomous vehicle space, offering robotaxi services in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. The company has logged more than 22 million miles as of June 2024 and recently released a report touting the safety of its vehicles compared to human drivers. Waymo began testing driverless cars on Bay Area freeways with Google employees in August.

Looking Ahead

While some analysts had hoped for an Uber-Waymo expansion into San Francisco, the addition of Austin and Atlanta may still boost market sentiment. The move also highlights Uber’s strategic shift from its own self-driving division, sold off in 2020, to partnerships with companies like Waymo, GM’s Cruise, and the UK’s SoftBank-backed Wayve.