Waymo's robotaxis to start carrying passengers in Atlanta, expanding Uber partnership
Share and Follow


Waymo’s robotaxis will begin carrying passengers through parts of Atlanta on Tuesday in an expansion of a partnership with Uber that began earlier this year in Austin.

Waymo’s driverless march into Atlanta comes just days after Tesla finally launched a limited robotaxi service in Austin, more than five years after CEO Elon Musk brashly promised the electric automaker would quickly overtake Waymo as the leader in autonomous driving technology. Unlike Waymo’s robotaxis, Tesla is initially placing a human in the passenger seat of its rival service to take over the vehicle if something goes wrong.

While Tesla is starting with about a dozen supervised robotaxis, Waymo and Uber have dispatched about 100 completely driverless vehicles in Austin less than four months after their partnership began. The expansion into Atlanta keeps the two companies aligned with a road map they laid out last September.

As has been the case in Austin, Waymo’s robotaxis in Atlanta will be dispatched through Uber’s app. Uber will give customers a choice to request a car operated by a human if they don’t want to take a driverless ride. The robotaxis will initially cover a 65-square-mile (168,00-square-kilometers) area within the Atlanta market before expanding to a larger stretch.

Waymo’s own ride-hailing app is available in Phoenix, Los Angeles and a steadily expanding swath of the San Francisco Bay Area. Factoring in its partnership with Uber, Waymo is currently providing more than 250,000 paid rides per week — making it the early frontrunner in the still-nascent robotaxi market.

But competition looms down the road as Musk continues to insist Tesla’s robotaxi service will be able to grow quickly and Amazon gears up to bring its Zoox driverless cabs to Las Vegas later this year — with plans to expand into San Francisco next year. Zoox is also aiming to bring its robotaxi service to Atlanta, although it hasn’t set a target date for that yet.

Uber once had ambitions to build robotaxis, but reversed course after a bruising legal battle with Waymo, which alleged the ride-hailing company stole its autonomous technology after poaching one of its engineers. After reaching a $245 million settlement with Waymo, Uber eventually sold its self-driving vehicle division following a 2018 crash that killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona.

Uber then pivoted to robotaxi partnerships to remain competitive as driverless cabs reshape the ride-hailing market. “By integrating Waymo’s cutting-edge technology into the Uber platform, we’re continuing to make transportation more convenient, sustainable, and reliable,” said Sarfraz Maredia, who oversees Uber’s efforts in autonomous driving.

With 18 different robotaxi partnerships in place around the world, Uber says it is on pace to make about 1.5 million annual driverless trips that either transport passengers or deliver food.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Hunter Biden's stripper baby mama asks for him to be ARRESTED

Hunter Biden Faces Potential Arrest as Legal Battle with Ex-Stripper Intensifies

In the latest twist of a high-profile legal saga, Hunter Biden finds…
In-custody suspect dies after gun discharges in Nassau County, sheriff's office says

Nassau County Incident: Suspect Fatally Wounded by Accidental Gun Discharge in Custody

A suspect in Nassau County, Florida, is dead following an incident involving…
X is DOWN: Elon Musk's social media platform crashes for thousands

X Experiences Widespread Outage: Elon Musk’s Social Media Platform Faces Disruptions for Thousands

For millions who rely on it daily, X—formerly known as Twitter—has unexpectedly…
Top Iran prayer leader who dubbed protesters 'Trump's soldiers' calls for executions amid ongoing unrest

Iran’s Senior Prayer Leader Labels Protesters ‘Trump’s Soldiers’ and Advocates for Executions Amid Continued Unrest

An Iranian cleric has urged for the execution of protesters arrested amidst…
NATO ambassador says Europe 'has a tendency to overreact' over Greenland dispute

NATO Envoy Criticizes Europe’s ‘Overreaction’ in Greenland Controversy: A Call for Diplomatic Balance

In an exclusive conversation with Fox News Digital, Matthew Whitaker, the U.S.…
Bat infestation forces St. Mary's Elementary to extend relocation for safety, remediation

St. Mary’s Elementary Extends Relocation Amid Ongoing Bat Infestation and Safety Concerns

The relocation of St. Mary’s Elementary School will be extended by Camden…
Nets' Nolan Traore gets nod down the stretch over Egor Demin

Brooklyn Nets Choose Nolan Traore Over Egor Demin for Crucial Game Moments: A Strategic Decision

In an impressive display during Friday night’s game, Brooklyn Nets rookie Nolan…
Immigration agents filmed dragging citizen from her car in Minneapolis

Controversial Incident: Immigration Agents Caught on Camera Forcibly Removing Minneapolis Citizen from Vehicle

On her way to a medical appointment in Minneapolis, a U.S. citizen…