Uber is inviting Atlanta customers to join the list if they are interested in calling Waymo Robotaxi as businesses prepare to launch commercial services in the city.
Last September, Uber and Waymo announced plans to offer Robotaxi services in Austin and Atlanta in early 2025 as part of their expansion partnership. In March, businesses began offering “Uber’s Waymo on Uber” Robotaxi services in Austin about a month after opening their “interest list” to their customers.
The company said Tuesday that the public can welcome Robotaki in Atlanta this summer.
The two “Waymo on Uber” services divide the responsibility for owning and operating a fleet of unmanned vehicles. Uber handles charging, maintenance and cleaning of self-driving cars and manages access to Robotaxis via the app, while Waymo monitors technology and autonomous operations, including redder assistance.
Under the partnership, only Uber users can welcome Waymo’s autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicle fleet.
The relationship between the two companies took a 180-degree turn from early 2018 in a trial that allegedly Uber had stolen a trade secret belonging to Waymo. The lawsuit was settled in February 2018.
In the seven years since the settlement, Waymo removed the plugs, developed, tested, and ultimately offered commercial Robotaxi services at Phoenix. The Alphabet Company later expanded its commercial services to San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Uber has gone more winding paths to deliver commercial Robotaxi services. After the settlement, the Rideshare Company continued to operate its own internal autonomous vehicle unit known as the Uber ATG for another two years. In December 2020, the subsidiary will be sold in a complicated contract with Aurora.
However, Uber soon began reinforcing its position in the emerging Robotaxi market by partnering with self-driving vehicle developers. The company attacked deals with 14 self-driving vehicle companies covering rides, delivery and trucking. In December, Uber launched the Robotaxi Rides on Weride on Abu Dhabi, and Waymo’s self-driving cars were available on the Phoenix Uber app from October 2023.
Soon, Atlanta will join a list of cities where locals can welcome unmanned cars. The service will cover 65 square miles of towns, including Downtown, Buckhead and Capitol View areas. The company said it plans to expand its operating areas in the future.
Uber and Waymo said it would increase the likelihood that customers join the list will receive updates and call Robotaxi once the service is officially launched. According to the company, customers who sign up will also receive early access to Waymo vehicles before they are open to the public.
To join, an Atlanta Uber customer must update the app, navigate to Account, then Settings. From there, customers will need to click on “Ride Settings” to view a list containing the options to join the self-driving cars and interest list.
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