Uber users in Phoenix now have the opportunity to experience driverless rides thanks to a partnership with Waymo. This marks Uber’s first foray into fully autonomous rides, providing users with the choice of riding in a Waymo vehicle when they request an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric ride, provided they are in the service area and a Waymo vehicle is available. Users can still opt for a human driver if they prefer or adjust their ride preferences to increase the likelihood of matching with an autonomous vehicle.
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The pricing for Waymo trips is presented upfront, and users will pay the same fares as for UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric rides. To initiate a Waymo ride, users simply tap a prompt within the Uber app to unlock the vehicle. Uber support remains available to users throughout the ride.
Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, emphasized the significance of this move in bringing safe and reliable autonomous driving technology to the Uber platform. He also highlighted the expectation of continued growth in both human-driven and autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform as they aim to build a global network combining both technologies.
While Waymo has been offering autonomous rides in Phoenix since 2020, this partnership with Uber is expected to introduce the experience to a wider audience. Currently, Waymo’s vehicles already complete over 10,000 trips weekly in the Metro Phoenix area.
