There’s news from Phoenix: Uber customers can now book a ride with the Waymo Driver, a fully autonomous, all-electric vehicle from Waymo.
When Uber customers request an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric ride through the Uber app, they will have the option to confirm a ride in a Waymo vehicle if one is available. This is the starting point for the strategic partnership between Waymo and Uber, which was announced earlier this year.
Tekedra Mawakana, Co-CEO of Waymo, emphasizes that this partnership offers Uber customers the opportunity to experience the Waymo Driver. The goal is to introduce as many people as possible to the safety, consistency and joy of driving with the Waymo Driver. Additionally, riders can continue to book Waymo Driver rides directly through the Waymo One app. This app is available to the public in Metro Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and soon in Austin.
Tens of thousands of people in Metro Phoenix use Waymo Driver every month, providing more than 10,000 rides per week in the region, with more than a thousand traveling to or from Sky Harbor International Airport.
The partnership between Waymo and Uber expands the benefits of safe and reliable autonomous vehicle technology and enables more people to experience using the Waymo robo-taxi. It has been five years since Waymo One launched in Chandler, Arizona, including three years of providing the fully autonomous service to the public. During this time, Phoenix’s service area increased fivefold, making it the largest autonomous driving ride-hailing area in the world.
The cooperation is also against the background of an earlier one Litigation interesting between Uber and Waymo. It involved the theft of trade secrets and the transfer of a senior employee from Waymo to Uber.