Uber expands driverless Waymo cars to Austin, announces plans for more cities
Uber is teaming up with Waymo to offer a fleet of autonomous rides in Austin, Texas, joining Uber and Waymo's existing network in Phoenix.
Starting Tuesday, passengers in Austin can request a driverless Waymo car through the Uber app, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told ABC News' Stephanie Ramos in an exclusive interview that aired Tuesday on "Good Morning America."
To order a Waymo car, Uber users order their ride on the Uber app as they usually would, and the app notifies riders that a Waymo driverless car is on the way.
Riders are given the opportunity to opt out for a ride with a driver. Once inside, passengers buckle up, press "start my ride" on the screen and enjoy the futuristic experience to their destination.
Khosrowshahi told "GMA" that Uber plans to expand its Waymo offerings in Atlanta and other cities soon.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has faced safety issues in the past, prompting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to open an investigation last year, according to The Associated Press.
Khosrowshahi said Uber believes in the safety of Waymo vehicles, describing them as "multiple times safer than a human."
"You know, humans make mistakes as well, so nothing in life can be perfect," he said. "But I think you can rest assure that when you're taking Waymo on Uber, it is the safest ride available to you today."
Khosrowshahi said Uber hopes that its expansion with Waymo will help lower costs, particularly costs associated with car insurance, making rides more affordable for everyone.
Currently, Waymo cars on the Uber app are priced the same as regular Uber rides.
"One of the factors in terms of Uber rides costs going high is actually the cost of insurance. You see it in house insurance, disaster insurance. You're also seeing car insurance as well," he said. "We're trying to lessen the cost as much as possible. It starts with safety, and I think these Waymo autonomous drivers are a great step in the right direction."
Waymo also offers autonomous rides through its own app in Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Another ridesharing service, Lyft, is also planning on launching autonomous vehicles in Atlanta later this year and in other cities like Dallas as soon as next year, according to the company's website.
