The streets of Austin and Atlanta are expected to see a significant tech upgrade as Waymo partners with Uber to introduce a fleet of fully autonomous, electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles into the rideshare scene. According to KXAN, starting early next year, these driverless cars are slated to join Uber’s service options, to scale up to hundreds of vehicles over time.
This move represents a deepening of the relationship between Uber and Waymo, both seeking to edge into the future of transportation. In a collaboration that stems from a strategic partnership signed last May, Uber will exclusively offer rides in Waymo's autonomous vehicles. However, Waymo will retain responsibility for the technological aspects, including testing and operating their Waymo Driver. "Waymo and Uber will work together to methodically scale the safe, reliable, and convenient
service Waymo One riders expect," as stated by KXAN.
At the New York Stock Exchange, news of the partnership seemed to bode well for investors, as Uber shares rose by almost 7%. In tandem, Alphabet, Waymo's parent company, also saw its shares climb up to 2.4% as reported by BNN Bloomberg. These figures seemingly reflect the market's optimistic outlook towards the integration of autonomous vehicles into mainstream transport services.
Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi portrayed the partnership as a strategic approach to utilizing the autonomous car fleets to their highest potential. "During peak times you can have a hybrid network that’s partially autonomous, partially manned," Khosrowshahi told attendees at a Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference. Not only does this approach cater to fluctuating demands, but it also represents Uber's pivot from developing in-house autonomous technology towards leveraging collaborations like these, as further described in a BNN Bloomberg interview.
