Uber expanding Waymo driverless service into Austin, Atlanta

Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Uber on Friday announced it will expand its autonomous ride-hailing service to two more major American cities.

Uber and Google -owned Waymo are expanding the app service into Atlanta and Austin, Texas beginning early next year, the company said in a statement.

The service will continue to use the Jaguar I-PACE already being used in other locations. Uber users will be matched with a Waymo autonomous vehicle if their trip qualifies.

The companies announced last October they were expanding into the metro Phoenix area.

In addition to Phoenix, Waymo and Uber currently operate in San Francisco and Los Angeles where they provide more than 100,000 weekly trips.

"We're thrilled to build on our successful partnership with Waymo, which has already powered fully autonomous trips for tens of thousands of riders in Phoenix," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in the company's statement Friday.

"Soon, riders in Austin and Atlanta will be able to experience that same mobility magic, through a new fleet of dedicated autonomous Waymo vehicles, available only on Uber."

Under the terms of the partnership, Uber will provide fleet management services including vehicle cleaning, repair, and other operational functions, while Waymo will handle testing and operation of the Waymo Driver, including roadside assistance in Atlanta and Austin.

"Waymo's mission is to be the world's most trusted driver, and we're excited to launch this expanded network and operations partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta to bring the benefits of fully autonomous driving to more riders," Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana.

"We've been delighted at the positive feedback from our Waymo One riders to date, and we can't wait to bring the comfort, convenience, and safety of the Waymo Driver to these cities in partnership with Uber."