Waymo's Autonomous Vehicles Are Coming To Uber

Waymo is one of the most recognizable names in the autonomous vehicle game. Earlier this year, the brand's driverless vehicles reached over one million miles with relatively few incidents (namely other drivers). It only makes sense that Waymo is joining with another huge name in mobility, Uber. According to a joint press release by both companies, the companies are becoming partners in progressing the future of autonomous driving. 

Through the partnership, Waymo hopes to utilize Uber's infrastructure for both its ride-sharing service and food delivery systems for its autonomous vehicles. Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says: "Uber provides access to a global and reliable marketplace across mobility, delivery, and freight. Fully autonomous driving is quickly becoming part of everyday life, and we're excited to bring Waymo's incredible technology to the Uber platform." 

Whether or not "fully autonomous driving" is becoming ubiquitous (it is almost definitively not), is a different question entirely. It's worth noting that Waymo operates in 180 square miles of Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix's total area is 518 square miles according to Census data.

In practice, when the new features go live later this year, riders will be able to call a Waymo-owned autonomous vehicle in select areas in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to a robo-taxi, UberEats functionality is included. That means if you live within the 180 square miles Waymo operates in Phoenix, there's a chance that what is effectively a robot car will deliver your Chipotle order. Waymo noted that the Waymo One app will also function after the features go live. 

Safe driving and electric vehicles are obvious benefits of the Waymo and Uber partnership, but one also has to think of the Uber drivers who rely on the app for their income. People getting squeezed out of their paycheck by robo-taxis might not have been an intended consequence of the merger, but it will almost definitely happen if the program expands further.

In Phoenix, Waymo has already started ferrying people to the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.