News Waymo and Uber expand their robotaxi partnership to Austin and Atlanta

[News]

Pedestrians exit a Waymo self-driving car in front of Google’s San Francisco headquarters. | Photo by Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images

Waymo and Uber — bitter enemies turned awkwardly polite work friends — announced they were expanding their two-year robotaxi partnership to two new cities: Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, starting in early 2025.

The companies have been working together in Phoenix, Arizona, since last year — but not in California in San Francisco or Los Angeles. It’s a mutually beneficial partnership in which Waymo gets access to Uber’s vast customer base, while Uber gets to serve as a platform for a futuristic mode of transportation.

When it launches, Waymo’s robotaxis will “only” be available to hail for rides on Uber’s app in Austin and Atlanta. That means Waymo’s own ridehail app, Waymo One, will not be operational in either city. The...

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