Uber Technologies is expanding its partnership with Alphabet’s Waymo to introduce autonomous ride-hailing in Atlanta, Georgia.
The move follows a March rollout in Austin, Texas, and marks another major milestone in Uber’s strategy to incorporate self-driving vehicles into its platform.
According to the companies, the Atlanta service will initially cover 65 square miles and operate dozens of Waymo vehicles, with plans to increase the fleet size over time.
Hundreds of Robotaxis Expected
Waymo’s fleet, consisting of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, will be dispatched and managed through Uber’s app.
Uber stated that the number of self-driving cars will “grow to hundreds” as the program scales in Atlanta.
Passengers will be charged the same rates as UberX, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric, but they will not be asked to tip for autonomous rides.
Surface Streets Only—For Now
The Atlanta rollout is currently limited to surface streets and does not yet include autonomous highway driving for public riders.
However, Waymo is already operating fully autonomous vehicles on highways in California and Arizona for its employees.
The company’s expansion into urban areas such as Atlanta represents its growing confidence in deploying driverless technology on city streets.
Waymo’s Broader U.S. Expansion
Waymo has announced additional expansion plans across the country.
Next month, its vehicles will return to New York City for further autonomous testing.
The company has applied for a permit from the city’s Department of Transportation to operate on Manhattan streets with a trained safety specialist behind the wheel.
Waymo also revealed plans to launch a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Washington, D.C., by 2026.
Currently, Waymo operates more than 1,500 vehicles and handles over 250,000 rides weekly across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin.
Uber’s Strategic Shift After Fatal Crash
Uber had previously been developing its own autonomous vehicle division, but it sold the unit in 2020 following financial losses and safety concerns.
The move came after a 2018 incident in which a self-driving Uber vehicle fatally struck a pedestrian in Arizona.
The safety driver in the vehicle pleaded guilty in 2023 and received a probation sentence.
Since then, Uber has focused on partnering with external autonomous tech firms like Waymo rather than developing its own solutions in-house.
Self-Driving Competition Heats Up
The competition in the robotaxi space is intensifying, with Waymo facing off against rivals like Tesla, which began limited trials of its autonomous taxi service in Austin earlier this month.
This accelerating rollout of driverless transport signals increasing momentum for self-driving technologies across the U.S.
As consumer trust builds and regulations adapt, major players are racing to dominate the next frontier of mobility.