Uber Technologies Inc. on Tuesday will begin offering its customers driverless Waymo rides in Atlanta, making it the second market, after Austin, where the two companies are teaming up instead of competing against each other.
Dozens of Waymo’s robotaxis will service 65 square miles (168 square kilometers) of Atlanta, Uber said, including from downtown, to Buckhead and to Capitol View, with plans to expand in the future. Uber had told riders in April they can increase their chances of getting an autonomous vehicle, or AV, by indicating their preference in the Uber app. Users will always have the option to accept a driverless ride or to switch to a human-operated car before a car is dispatched to them, the company said.
Atlanta is poised to become a competitive market in the AV space. Uber’s rival Lyft Inc. is expected to launch an autonomous ride-hailing service — with safety operators onboard — in partnership with Toyota Motor Corp.-backed May Mobility Inc. “as soon as this summer.” Amazon.com Inc.’s Zoox Inc. has also been testing its driverless technology in the city’s downtown area.
Uber first began working with Alphabet Inc.-owned Waymo to offer rides and deliveries in Phoenix