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Hailing a cab might soon look a little different, as self-driving robotaxis continue to expand across the US.
Last year, it was announced Waymo and Uber will be bringing autonomous ride-hailing to Austin and Atlanta, exclusively available via the Uber app.
The taxi firm will be in charge of managing and dispatching Waymo’s all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, with ambitious plans to grow the fleet into the hundreds.
“We’re thrilled to build on our successful partnership with Waymo, which has already powered fully autonomous trips for tens of thousands of riders in Phoenix,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said back in September. “Soon, riders in Austin and Atlanta will be able to experience that same mobility magic, through a new fleet of dedicated autonomous Waymo vehicles, available only on Uber.”
Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo – formerly known as the Google Self-Driving Car Project – also hailed the expansion, reiterating the brand’s mission to become the “world’s most trusted driver”.
She added: “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.”
Now, customers in Austin can join an “interest list” in the Uber app to receive updates about the looming launch and be in for a chance of booking a driverless cab. According to Bloomberg, rides will be “limited to 37 square miles (95.83 square kilometers) of Austin, including from Hyde Park, to downtown and to Montopolis, with plans to expand the operational zone in the future”.
What is Waymo?
Founded back in 2009, Waymo is a vehicle service where people can book a car to take them from A to B. But, unlike your standard taxi, the vehicle pulling up outside your home will be completely empty.
The driverless vehicles have been tested across 13 states, where each area is mapped out with meticulous detail. This spans from lane markers to stop signs and even curbs. As we previously reported, the driver then uses all the data, including custom maps and real-time sensor information, to determine its exact road location.
The company has praised itself in the past for having a remarkable ability to avoid “high-severity collisions better than even the most attentive human driver”, with data showing it has fewer insurance claims, injuries, and police reports compared to human drivers.
