Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit of Alphabet (Google’s parent company), has expanded its fully driverless robotaxi service to Atlanta, making it the fifth U.S. city where the company operates commercially. The vehicles will now serve passengers across a 65-square-mile area, offering on-demand rides through both the Waymo One app and, for the first time in Atlanta, through Uber.
The partnership with Uber allows users to hail a robotaxi the same way they’d order a regular Uber ride. Riders will now be able to select a “Waymo driverless” option in the app, giving them the choice between a human driver and a completely autonomous ride.
“Atlanta is one of the most dynamic and traffic-heavy cities in the country,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo. “This expansion proves that our fully autonomous technology is safe, scalable, and ready for complex urban environments.”
Waymo currently operates similar services in:
- Phoenix, where it launched its first paid service in 2020
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- Austin
Waymo reports it now completes more than 250,000 paid autonomous rides per week. Atlanta’s expansion brings the company closer to its goal of becoming the nation’s leading autonomous ride-hailing provider.
Safety and Technology
Waymo vehicles in Atlanta are fully electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs outfitted with advanced sensors, LIDAR, radar, and cameras. The onboard fifth-generation Waymo Driver system processes data in real time to navigate Atlanta’s often unpredictable traffic, pedestrians, and complex intersections.
Initial service areas include Midtown, Downtown, Old Fourth Ward, Virginia-Highland, and surrounding neighborhoods, with plans to expand to the broader metro area in the next 12 months.
To ensure safety, Waymo says it completed tens of thousands of test miles in Atlanta before launching service. The company has also been working closely with city officials and transportation regulators to ensure full compliance.
Uber Partnership and Market Impact
The Uber integration marks a significant milestone, bringing mainstream accessibility to autonomous rides. According to Uber, Atlanta is among its top five U.S. cities by ride volume, making it a strategic location for testing high passenger throughput with autonomous vehicles.
“This partnership lets us offer more reliable rides and greater choice,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. “It’s another step toward a more sustainable and autonomous future.”
Analysts see the move as a competitive edge over other autonomous vehicle developers, including Cruise (owned by GM), Zoox (Amazon), and Tesla, which recently launched its supervised robotaxi beta in Austin.
