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Waymo’s Autonomous Robotaxis to Offer Uber’s Ride-hailing and Delivery Services

On Tuesday, May 23, Alphabet subsidiary Waymo announced that it would soon be offering Uber‘s ride-hailing and delivery services in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area.

The development comes on the heels of Waymo’s multiyear partnership with Uber. Later this year, Waymo will offer autonomous ride-hailing service and delivery via Uber Eats in the 180-square-mile operating territory around Phoenix. Waymo also calls it the “largest fully autonomous service area in the world”.

The development comes just within two months of Waymo announcing that it would make the Waymo One ride-hailing fleet fully electric. Additionally, the company also announced its plans to expand vehicle testing in Austin, Texas. Commenting on the development, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said:

“Uber provides access to a global and reliable marketplace across mobility, delivery, and freight. Fully autonomous driving is quickly becoming part of everyday life, and we’re excited to bring Waymo’s incredible technology to the Uber platform.”

Uber and Waymo: Rivaling in the Robotaxi Space

Previously, both Uber and Waymo were rivaling each other in the robotaxi space. In 2018, the two companies settled a case over trade secrets for a staggering $245 million after Waymo accused Uber of poaching one of its leading engineers.

Later, Uber also agreed not to use Waymo’s proprietary information in its operations. Later in 2020, Uber sold its autonomous car unit to Aurora for a staggering $4 billion. Uber later shifted gears to focus on surer bets such as ride-hailing and food delivery and prioritize profitability in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking on the recent development, Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo said:

“We’re excited to offer another way for people to experience the enjoyable and life-saving benefits of full autonomy. Uber has long been a leader in human-operated ridesharing, and the pairing of our pioneering technology and all-electric fleet with their customer network provides Waymo with an opportunity to reach even more people.”

Uber has been forming key partnerships with multiple partners and has been quite focused on autonomous vehicles. Last December 2022, Uber announced its partnership with Motional, a Hyundai-Aptiv joint venture focused on commercializing self-driving technology, to launch a public autonomous ride-hailing service in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The service will initially be offered on UberX and Uber Comfort Electric during daytime hours, with Motional deploying safety personnel in the self-driving cars. However, the company plans to introduce a fully autonomous service by next year.

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Waymo’s Autonomous Robotaxis to Offer Uber’s Ride-hailing and Delivery Services