Uber and Waymo announced the expansion of their partnership on Friday, Sept. 13, which will involve the release of a fleet of robotaxis in Atlanta, Georgia, and Austin, Texas, by early 2025. Riders will be able to get the autonomous taxis only through the Uber app, according to the press release.
The vehicles used for the service will be the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles that the companies say will “grow to hundreds over time.” However, the exact number of vehicles that will be on the streets of Austin and Atlanta has not yet been revealed.
The two companies called the relationship “mutually beneficial.” They said Uber will handle fleet management like repairing and cleaning the cars, while Waymo will oversee testing and operation of “Waymo Driver,” as well as handling roadside assistance and rider support. The two companies did not share how they would split profits.
The companies have not always been friendly with each other. In 2017, Waymo sued Uber over allegedly stealing its trade secrets and patent infringement. Waymo said Uber used its technology in Uber’s subsidiary self-driving truck known as Otto. The two companies eventually reached a settlement.
Waymo previously planned to partner with Lyft for robotaxis in 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic took that plan out of commission. Uber was also developing its own fleet of autonomous taxis to reportedly replace all human drivers years ago. However, that effort ended in 2017 after an Uber vehicle struck and killed a woman. A federal investigation found that Uber was partly responsible for the incident.
