Waymo opens in Atlanta through Uber

Previously

In Part 1, Uber began matching Austin riders with Waymo cars across 37 square miles. Uber handles cleaning, repair and depots; Waymo runs the driving system and roadside help. Neither company gave a fleet size or deal terms.

ATLANTA, June 2025 — Waymo's driverless cars are now taking public riders in Atlanta, again only through Uber. Here's what changed since Part 1 (March 2025), what it cost, and what went wrong.

Cost and outcome (as of June 24, 2025)

Price to riders: "no additional cost" over UberX, Comfort or Comfort Electric. (Uber)
Service area: 65 square miles, "from Downtown to Buckhead to Capitol View." (Uber)
Atlanta fleet size: not disclosed. Uber said Austin had 100 Waymo vehicles on its platform. (Uber)
Rider rating in Austin: 4.9 stars on average, per Uber. (Uber)
Deal terms and revenue split: not disclosed.

What's changed

Atlanta follows the Austin model. Riders who request one of three ride types "could be matched" with a Waymo, and "you'll always have the option to accept or switch to a non-AV ride," Uber said. Uber Green, offered in Austin, is not on Atlanta's list. Riders unlock the doors, open the trunk and start the trip in the Uber app. Support is available in the app and on "Waymo's in-car screens."

The Atlanta area is 65 square miles, against 37 in Austin at launch. Waymo's own page lists the Atlanta zone as running "from South Atlanta, to Downtown, to Buckhead." The page says the fleet "will only serve a limited territory in Austin and Atlanta," and riders can turn on a Waymo preference in the Uber app's settings to raise their chances.

What was promised

When the expansion was announced in September 2024, Waymo said that "in Atlanta, Waymo and Uber will begin welcoming public riders in early 2025 via the Uber app, and gradually expand throughout the year." Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said the companies were "excited to launch this expanded network and operations partnership." Public rides began on June 24, later than the early-2025 target. Neither company gave a reason in the releases we reviewed.

Waymo's page also says the fleet "prioritizes ride requests that are close by to an available Waymo vehicle." That means a rider's chances of a match depend partly on where the cars happen to be.

The safety pitch

Uber's release says "any AV on the Uber network must meet all our Safety Guidelines." It adds that, across Waymo's fully autonomous miles on public roads, "the data shows Waymo's vehicles are already reducing traffic injuries." Uber did not link the data in that release or say how Waymo was assessed against its guidelines.

What the companies say about Austin

Uber's Atlanta release puts Austin at 100 Waymo vehicles, a number "growing as the fleet scales across both Austin and Atlanta." On the May 7 earnings call, Khosrowshahi said the average Waymo in Austin "is busier than 99% of Austin drivers, as defined by kind of the number of trips per day." He said opt-in rates were "very, very healthy" and that Uber's team was handling "repairs and cleaning and recharging the cars."

These are Uber's figures. Neither company has published trip counts, wait times or the cost of running the fleet. The 99% comparison was given without the underlying data.

What went wrong

No Atlanta fleet number. Uber gave an area and prices, but not how many cars serve Atlanta.
Unchecked metrics. The utilization and rating figures come only from Uber.
Late start. Waymo targeted early 2025 for public Atlanta rides; they began June 24.
Still no terms. About nine months after the expansion was announced, what Uber pays Waymo, or earns per ride, is undisclosed.
What we don't know yet: how many Atlanta riders get matched to a Waymo, and how the cars handle the city's roads at scale.

Our follow-up question for Uber

How many Waymo vehicles serve Atlanta, and will Uber publish trip and wait-time data for its Waymo rides?

Later developments (added Oct. 2026)

On Oct. 17, 2025, NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation after a media report of a Waymo passing a stopped school bus in Atlanta on Sept. 22, 2025. NHTSA's summary says the car "initially stopped, but then drove around the front of the bus," passing its crossing control arm "near disembarking students." (NHTSA)
A Waymo spokesperson told CBS News Atlanta that the bus's lights and stop sign were not visible to the car as it turned. Atlanta police did not issue a citation, CBS reported. (CBS News Atlanta) The recall that followed is covered in Waymo recalls 3,067 robotaxis.

Sources

Uber Newsroom, “Atlanta: The Future is Here with Waymo and Uber,” June 24, 2025. uber.com
Uber Technologies, “Atlanta: The Future is Here with Waymo and Uber,” investor release, June 24, 2025. investor.uber.com
Waymo, “Waymo On Uber,” accessed Oct. 25, 2026. waymo.com
Uber Technologies, Q1 2025 earnings call corrected transcript, May 7, 2025. s23.q4cdn.com
Waymo, “Waymo and Uber expand partnership to bring autonomous ride-hailing to Austin and Atlanta,” Sept. 13, 2024. waymo.com
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, ODI resume, PE25013, opened Oct. 17, 2025. static.nhtsa.gov
CBS News Atlanta, Dan Raby, “Federal agency investigating how Waymos handle stopped school buses after viral incident in Atlanta,” Oct. 22, 2025. cbsnews.com

Disclosure: [not in copy] Editor placeholder