News Summary

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit of Alphabet, has announced a partnership with Uber to bring fully autonomous ride-hailing services to Austin and Atlanta. Starting in early 2025, the public in these cities will have access to Waymo’s electric Jaguar I-PACE robotaxis exclusively through the Uber app. This collaboration is part of Waymo’s broader strategy to expand its self-driving services, which already operate in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. The initiative follows Waymo’s recent $5.6 billion Series C funding round and marks a significant step in the company’s efforts to establish its presence in new markets. The rollout is expected to gradually expand throughout the year, with Uber managing and dispatching the vehicles. This move comes amid competitive developments in the autonomous vehicle sector, as Tesla also plans to introduce a robotaxi service in Austin.