Uber Introduces Autonomous Rides in Austin, Atlanta Next

Autonomous Ubers have arrived.

The self-driving, electric Waymo vehicles are now available in Austin, Texas and before long will also begin appearing in Atlanta, Georgia.

The new Uber rides will initially be available across 37 square miles of Austin, an area that encompasses from Hyde Park to Downtown and Montopolis.

This territory will be expanded in the future, according to today’s announcement from Uber.

Keen to experience an autonomous Uber ride? Here’s what you need to know (and do).

• Request a ride and opt in for a Waymo: Starting today, riders who request an UberX, Uber Green, Comfort, or Comfort Electric could be matched with a Waymo fully autonomous all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicle – at no additional cost, according to the Uber website. Before a nearby Waymo vehicle is sent your way, you’ll have the option to accept or switch to a non-AV ride
• Familiar app, new experience: Once the Waymo arrives, riders can unlock the vehicle, open the trunk, and start the trip – all from their familiar Uber app. But not to worry, if assistance is needed at any time, riders will have access to 24/7 customer support, accessible in both the Uber app and inside the Waymo vehicle
• Update ride preferences: Uber customers in Austin who are interested in a Waymo ride can increase the chances of getting matched by opting in via the Ride Preferences section of the Uber app under Settings.

Autonomous Uber Safety

For those who may still be a bit skittish about a self-driving vehicle, Uber explained today that any AV on its network is required to meet the ride sharing company’s safety guidelines. Those guidelines cover such issues as safety approach, regulatory compliance, incident response and safety metrics reporting.

Uber also pointed out that Waymo vehicles have tens of millions of miles  of real-world driving experience navigating complex road conditions using the Waymo Driver’s suite of sensors.

In Waymo’s first 33 million miles of operation, the company recorded 81 percent fewer airbag deployment crashes compared to human-driven vehicles, 78 percent fewer injury-causing crashes and 62 percent fewer police-reported crashes.

Atlanta Up Next

Uber said its employees are already taking autonomous trips with Waymo vehicles in ATL. Those employee-tested trips are a key step prior to offering Waymo rides to the public.

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