Waymo and Uber have formed a partnership to bring autonomous vehicle (AV) ride booking to Austin, Texas.
Customers will now be able to choose Waymo’s electric, automated Jaguar I-PACE vehicle via the Uber app when booking any UberX, Uber Green, Comfort or Comfort Electric trip, with the car offered at no additional cost.
Riders will be given the choice to opt-out of autonomous services at time of booking, and all control of the vehicle including unlocking, trunk operation and start and stop commands will be accessible from within the Uber app, with the company offering 24/7 customer support to those choosing to use the Waymo services.
Currently, Waymo vehicles are in operation across 37 square miles within Austin, with plans to expand the local area in the near future.
Waymo has also stated intentions to expand its autonomous ride service with Uber to Atlanta, with employees currently testing the service in the run up to a formal launch.
