Uber Technologies and Waymo began offering autonomous ride-hailing services in Atlanta on Tuesday, expanding a partnership that already includes operations in Austin, Texas.
The launch covers a 65-square-mile area of Atlanta and adds to growing efforts to bring self-driving vehicles to more cities.
The companies first announced plans for the Atlanta rollout in September 2024. Riders can now use the Uber app to request Waymo autonomous vehicles, which are all-electric Jaguar I-PACE models. The service will start with dozens of vehicles and is expected to grow over time.
Fares for these rides will match UberX, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric, but there will be no tipping prompt for users of the autonomous service.
Waymo currently operates about 100 vehicles on the Uber platform in Austin. It also runs autonomous services in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.
In total, Waymo vehicles complete more than 250,000 rides per week across these cities.
Waymo is also operating fully autonomous rides on highways in California and Arizona, though this service is currently limited to employees. In Atlanta, the autonomous rides will operate only on surface streets.
Last week, Waymo said it plans to return to New York City next month for testing. It has applied for a permit to operate in Manhattan with a trained specialist behind the wheel. The company also plans to begin fully autonomous ride-hailing in Washington, D.C., next year.
Uber exited the self-driving vehicle business in 2020 after selling its unit to reduce losses and focus on core services. The decision followed a 2018 crash in which a pedestrian was struck and killed by a self-driving Uber in Arizona.
The backup safety driver involved in the incident pleaded guilty in 2023 and was sentenced to probation.
