Waymo has announced that members of the public can now hail self-driving taxis in Austin, Texas, marking a significant step toward the commercial launch of its autonomous ride-hailing service in the city. Previously, the autonomous vehicles were only accessible to Waymo employees.
Selected customers can now order a Waymo taxi through the company’s Waymo One app, with the service initially being available to those on the “interest list” on Waymo’s website. The announcement was made via a post on X, stating, “This week, we’re beginning to welcome riders in Austin from our interest list to try our fully autonomous ride-hail experience. Riders will travel across 37 square miles of the city, as we prepare for our commercial launch early next year – exclusively on the Uber app.”
This week, we’re beginning to welcome riders in Austin from our interest list to try our fully autonomous ride-hail experience. Riders will travel across 37 square miles of the city, as we prepare for our commercial launch early next year – exclusively on the Uber app. Learn… pic.twitter.com/0kKXtkiGat
— Waymo (@Waymo) October 2, 2024
The service will operate 24/7, although details regarding the initial fleet size of self-driving cabs remain unclear. A coverage map released by Waymo indicates a broad area, including Hyde Park, Downtown, South Lamar, and Montopolis. It has not been specified whether there will be any associated fees for using the service, but previous rollouts suggest it may be free initially before fares are introduced.
With this expansion, Austin becomes the fourth city where Waymo’s autonomous taxis, converted Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, are available to the public, following San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. The company has also announced plans for a fifth city, Atlanta, which will also feature the Uber partnership next year.
The multi-year collaboration, announced in September, will allow Waymo’s autonomous vehicles to be offered on the Uber app. However, it is expected that when this service launches “in early 2025,” the Waymo One app will cease operations in Austin. The Waymo One service is anticipated to run for several months before this transition takes place.
Additionally, Waymo has hinted at the potential introduction of a next-generation taxi in Austin, which will be based on a platform provided by the Chinese brand Zeekr. The company recently posted on X: “Keep your eyes peeled as we continue testing our 6th-gen Waymo Driver on the Zeekr platform across our Waymo One cities this fall.”
