Uber is about to offer rides in Waymo’s self-driving cars through the standard Uber app. This service will also be available for meal deliveries via Uber Eats. Set to start at the end of the year, this initiative will launch in the Metro Phoenix area, where Waymo is already providing driverless rides to paying customers through its Waymo One app. Recently, Waymo announced it was expanding its service area in Phoenix to cover 180 square miles, making it the largest fully autonomous service region globally.
Tekedra Mawakana, the co-CEO of Waymo, expressed optimism about the partnership with Uber, highlighting that it could accelerate the progress of fully autonomous driving technology. She emphasized the added benefits and reach this collaboration would bring to both companies.
Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s CEO, shared his enthusiasm for incorporating full autonomy into the Uber platform, noting the company’s ability to offer a reliable global marketplace for various services, including mobility, delivery, and freight. He is excited about integrating Waymo’s advanced technology to enhance Uber’s offerings.
Waymo recently reported it is handling more than 10,000 weekly trips for the public through its Waymo One app, with plans to increase to 100,000 trips by summer 2024. The alliance with Uber should help achieve this ambitious target.
This partnership represents a significant improvement in the relationship between Uber and Waymo. Just five years ago, Waymo accused Uber of stealing key autonomous technology trade secrets for its now-abandoned driverless car project. The companies settled out of court in 2018. Additionally, former Waymo engineer Anthony Levandowski, who later founded the self-driving trucking firm Otto and sold it to Uber, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for trade secret theft.
This new collaboration follows an earlier partnership between Uber and Waymo announced last year, which also involved integrating Waymo’s self-driving tech with Uber’s truck-based freight network.