Austin riders get matched with a robotaxi inside the Uber app

AUSTIN, March 2025 — Uber riders in Austin can now be matched with a Waymo car that has no one at the wheel. Here's what launched, what it cost, and what went wrong.

Cost and outcome (as of March 4, 2025)

Price to riders: "no additional cost" over UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric. (Uber)
Service area: 37 square miles, "from Hyde Park, to Downtown, to Montopolis." (Uber)
Fleet size at launch: not disclosed. Waymo said in 2024 the fleet "will grow to hundreds of vehicles over time." (Waymo)
Deal terms and revenue split: not disclosed.

What launched

Riders who request one of four Uber ride types "could be matched" with a Waymo, Uber said. Before the car is sent, "you'll have the option to accept or switch to a non-AV ride." Riders can raise their odds by opting in under Ride Preferences in the app's settings. They unlock the car, open the trunk and start the trip from the Uber app, and support is available "24/7" in the app and inside the car.

"In Austin, Waymo rides will only be available on the Uber app," Uber said. Riders matched with a Waymo pay the same rates as the ride type they booked and "will not be prompted to tip," the Statesman reported.

Who does what

The split was set out when the companies expanded their partnership in September 2024. Uber "will provide fleet management services including vehicle cleaning, repair, and other general depot operations," Waymo said. Waymo remains "responsible for the testing and operation of the Waymo Driver, including roadside assistance and certain rider support functions."

The Statesman reported that Uber would run those fleet services "in partnership with Avomo," covering cleaning, maintenance, inspections, charging and depots. Andrew Macdonald, Uber's senior vice president of mobility and business operations, told the paper: "You know, we're a technology company, but we operate in the real world, and that means you deal with the complexity and messiness of the real world."

Nicole Gavel, Waymo's head of business development and strategic partnerships, said early cities were chosen partly for "folks who are maybe early adopters to technology" and city governments "that are supporters of new innovations."

How it got here

Uber and Waymo already worked together in Phoenix. When they announced the Austin and Atlanta expansion in September 2024, Khosrowshahi said that partnership had "already powered fully autonomous trips for tens of thousands of riders in Phoenix." At the time, Waymo said its own app, Waymo One, provided "more than 100,000 trips each week across San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles."

Waymo had begun fully autonomous rides for employees in Austin by then. It said it would admit "a limited number of early riders" to the Waymo One app before "fully transitioning to the Uber app" in 2025. In March, Uber said Atlanta was "up next," with employees already taking driverless trips in that city, and the public service to come "only on Uber."

Uber's release also said any self-driving car on its network "must meet all our Safety Guidelines," and that Waymo's cars had "tens of millions of miles" of real-world driving. The release did not say how Waymo was assessed against them.

What went wrong

No fleet number. The launch release gave an area and prices, but not how many cars serve it.
No guarantee of a match. Opting in only boosts a rider's chances, Uber said.
Split responsibility. Uber cleans and charges the cars; Waymo handles the driving system and roadside help. Riders deal with both.
What we don't know yet: how many trips Waymo cars carry, how wait times compare with human drivers, and what Uber pays or earns per ride.

Our follow-up question for Uber

How many Waymo vehicles serve Austin, and what share of eligible requests are matched to one?

Later developments (added Oct. 2026)

On Uber's May 7, 2025 earnings call, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said "the average Waymo in Austin is busier than 99% of Austin drivers" by trips per day. That is Uber's claim. (Uber transcript) Business Insider reported his prepared remarks put the fleet at "approximately 100 vehicles." (Business Insider)
On Nov. 20, 2025, Austin ISD wrote to Waymo citing 19 instances of its cars "illegally and dangerously passing" school buses since the school year began, and demanded that Waymo "immediately cease operation of its automated vehicles during the hours of 5:20 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m." until more software updates were completed. (Austin ISD letter, via NHTSA) Waymo's recall is covered in Waymo recalls 3,067 robotaxis.

Sources

Uber Newsroom, “Ride into the future with Waymo on Uber in Austin,” March 4, 2025. uber.com
Uber Technologies (Business Wire), “Ride Into the Future With Waymo on Uber in Austin,” March 4, 2025. investor.uber.com
Waymo, “Waymo and Uber expand partnership to bring autonomous ride-hailing to Austin and Atlanta,” Sept. 13, 2024. waymo.com
Austin American-Statesman, Beck Andrew Salgado, “Uber and Waymo officially launch autonomous vehicle service in Austin ahead of SXSW 2025,” March 4, 2025. statesman.com
Uber Technologies, Q1 2025 earnings call corrected transcript, May 7, 2025. s23.q4cdn.com
Business Insider, “Uber CEO says the Waymo robotaxis on its app in Austin are busier than 99% of human drivers,” May 7, 2025. businessinsider.com
Austin Independent School District, letter to Waymo LLC, Nov. 20, 2025, posted by NHTSA. static.nhtsa.gov

Disclosure: [not in copy] Editor placeholder