You Can Hail Driverless Cars on Uber in Austin

• Uber users can hail a driverless car in Austin.
• The offering is in collaboration with Waymo.
• Atlanta is reportedly the next market Uber and Waymo will launch in.

Uber announced a partnership with autonomous driving company Waymo, allowing its riders to be matched up with a driverless vehicle in Austin. 

Uber users in the Texas city requesting an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric, can opt in to be potentially matched with one of its electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, if available, at no additional cost. If one of the fleets is free, an option will pop up to accept the Waymo, or wait for a non-autonomous vehicle, so that antsy riders won’t be forced into a car with an empty driver’s seat.

For those who do choose to go driverless, when the Waymo arrives, they will be able to unlock the vehicle, open the trunk, and begin the trip from the Uber app directly. Currently, Austin users can travel anywhere within the city’s 37 square miles, including Hyde Park, Montopolis, and downtown. The program will eventually expand its coverage area. 

If any issues come up, 24/7 customer service is available, both inside the car and through the Uber app. Safety has long been at the forefront of the company, which reached the milestone of surpassing 25 million miles on the road last year and five million rides—four million of those in 2024. Totaling one million hours on the road, the Mountain View, California-based company claims it has helped avoid more than six million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.

“We’re reimagining how the world moves and building a future where autonomous vehicles and drivers work side by side to help make transportation more affordable, sustainable, and accessible for all,” Uber said in a statement obtained by Travel + Leisure.

For those who want a better chance of getting a Waymo robotaxi, Uber suggests going into the Ride Preference section and opting in through the settings there. 

While Austin was just announced, Uber and Waymo are already working on an expansion to Atlanta soon, as employees are currently testing the integrated program there. As of now, users in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles still need the Waymo One app to hail these cars.