UNDER Uber’s expanded partnership with autonomous driving technology company Waymo, I had the opportunity to take a ride in a self-driving luxury Jaguar – and I was pleasantly surprised.
Although initially hesitant considering the lack of a driver in the front seat, there were many luxurious amenities and hidden financial perks that put me at ease within minutes.
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Uber, the largest ride-sharing company in the world, is steadily growing its presence in the AV space through its partnership with Waymo.
The pair first teamed up in May 2023 and has since brought driverless rides to consumers in Phoenix, Arizona, and more recently, Austin, Texas, on March 4.
I was offered the opportunity to go for a spin in one of Waymo’s AVs and couldn’t pass up the chance – even more appealing due to the fleet being luxurious all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles.
SAFETY FIRST
Although I was initially a bit hesitant to get into a driverless car solely operated through sensors and AI software, I figured that the Waymo was likely a better driver than I was.
Read More on Driverless Cars
Autonomous vehicles are constantly attentive and not distracted by passengers, texts, phone calls, crying children, or other disturbances, and they have driven an impressive number of miles.
Although I was slightly surprised at how quickly the Waymo accelerated, I noticed that the AV always drove within the speed limit and consistently used its turn signals – something I cannot say of human drivers.
“There are many advantages of being in an autonomous vehicle,” Sachin Kansal, Uber’s chief product officer, told The U.S. Sun.
“In the case of Waymo, they have driven tens of millions of miles – around 2,000 times what a human driver would ever drive in their lifetime. They have an excellent safety record.”
One of the convenient safety measures in place is that the Waymo vehicles remind you to put on your seatbelt and will not start or proceed with a ride if you are not buckled up.
Additional safety features can be found on the touchscreen in the backseat of the AV, including the rider’s ability to end the ride early using the “Pull Over” button, access 24/7 customer support, and review safety information.
I also felt at ease during my Waymo experience because riders are kept in the loop about their ride details.
The touchscreen displays trip information such as ETA, navigation guidance, a version of what the car sees through its sensors, and even information on why the AV is stopped.
SIT BACK AND RELAX
Beyond the safety features of the Waymo car, several other aspects of the AV provided a sense of personalization and comfort that put me at ease during my ride.
“One of the things we really want to make sure is that people have a good experience as their first experience with an autonomous vehicle,” Noah Zych, Uber’s global head of autonomous mobility and delivery operations, told The U.S. Sun.
He shared that the experience was designed to help riders “get comfortable” with autonomous vehicle technology, and I definitely found that to be the case.
Riders can unlock the vehicle, open the trunk, and indicate for the Waymo to start the trip all from the Uber app.
Additionally, my initials were displayed on the rooftop dome to let me know I was getting in the correct vehicle, and the Waymo greeted me as I got in the car.
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Once inside the driverless car, I was able to use the touchscreen to adjust the temperature to my liking from 59 to 83 degrees and control the fan speed.
I was also able to choose the music for my ride, either using the built-in iHeartRadio option for a quick and easy selection of music or casting from my phone for a more personalized experience.
Overall, riding in the driverless vehicle was a surprisingly peaceful experience.
I appreciated the control I had over the environment as well as the lack of forced interaction, allowing me to simply enjoy the ride.
My Experience in a Waymo
Uber officially partnered with Waymo in May 2023, with its latest launch in the city of Austin, Texas, on March 4.
I had the opportunity to test out Waymo’s autonomous technology firsthand, and I was pleasantly surprised.
After seamlessly ordering the AV ride through the Uber app, the driverless car showed up in less than 10 minutes.
My initials were displayed on the rooftop dome, and I easily unlocked the car with a simple tap on the app.
Once inside, the vehicle itself greeted me and reminded me to put on my seatbelt using a voice prompt.
A touchscreen in the AV featured a handful of assets to encourage a comfortable experience, including options to adjust the temperature, play music, and even request the car to pull over.
I started the ride on the touchscreen as well, and was initially a bit hesitant about the driverless technology.
It was surreal to see the steering wheel turning by itself, but within minutes, the novelty had worn off, and I forgot there wasn’t a driver in the seat.
At no point did I feel unsafe in the Waymo vehicle, and I quite enjoyed having more control over my experience with the features on the touchscreen.
NO TIP NO PROBLEM
Another thing to consider when choosing between a traditional Uber ride and a Waymo ride is the financial aspect.
One downside of the AV rides is that they are currently priced the same as regular Uber rides even though the vehicles are self-driving.
However, Uber fares can add up quickly depending on how frequently and how far you travel – but riders can save a few dollars per ride when they opt to take a Waymo due to some key financial perks.
Unlike with regular Uber rides, customers are not expected to tip when they take a Waymo because there is no human driver.
This was a major draw for me with Waymo, as I’ve spent over $65 on a single ride-hailing trip before, and the additional expense for a tip on an already expensive fare can be quite frustrating.
Uber & Waymo – A Dynamic Duo
Uber officially partnered with Waymo, an autonomous driving technology company, in May 2023.
After launching the AV tech in Phoenix, Arizona, in the fall of 2023, Uber has major expansion plans underway, bringing the Waymo vehicles to new cities such as Austin, Texas.
Starting March 4, residents of Austin who order an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric can be matched with one of Waymo’s fully autonomous all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles.
Atlanta, Georgia, is Uber’s next target city, launching its Waymo partnership there “in the coming months,” an Uber spokesperson told The U.S. Sun.
Waymo will roll out a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Atlanta exclusively for its workers in the area at the beginning of this year.
The move was a key step before the AV service is made available to the public later in 2025 exclusively in the Uber app.
Uber fans in other cities can look forward to the potential launch of driverless Waymo rides, as the autonomous driving technology company is sending AVs to 10 new cities this year, starting with Las Vegas and San Diego.
However, the vehicles will be driven manually by safety specialists to gather data on how the self-driving system adapts to different driving conditions, traffic patterns, and road designs in diverse environments.
While Waymo is working to expand its commercial robotaxi services, the tests do not necessarily mean that the company will launch the service in the ten cities.
Another plus of the AV option on the Uber app is that riders will not experience a price change once their ride is ordered.
The cost of a traditional ride can switch once a customer has already paid and even after a trip is complete due to several factors:
- Unexpected tolls
- Route or duration changes
- Wait times
- Multi-stop fees
- Driver paid cash tolls
“We made a promise to you on the price when you press the button. We’re not going to switch the price on you,” Kansal said of the Waymo option.
To stack up the savings from tip-free rides that have fixed fares, Uber customers can increase their chances of being matched with a Waymo AV through the ride preferences settings in the Uber app.
“That is the beauty and the promise of the hybrid marketplace from our perspective, because in a way, we are agnostic. We want to make sure that for you as an end user, we are able to provide what you want. Consumers should always get a choice,” said the Uber executive.
I will definitely be changing my settings to be matched with more Waymo vehicles in the future, as I found the overall experience to be more comfortable and felt safer – and it never hurts to save a few dollars where you can.
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How do autonomous cars work?
Autonomous cars use sensors, algorithms, machine learning systems, and powerful processors.
They can create and maintain a map of the area around them based on several sensors situated in different parts of the car.
Radar sensors are used to keep track of the positions of other cars.
Video cameras can detect traffic lights, read road signs, track other cars, and look out for pedestrians.
A sophisticated software processes all of this information and plots a path for the car to take, sending instructions to the car’s actuators, which control acceleration, braking, and steering.
Hard-coded rules and object recognition help the software follow traffic rules and avoid obstacles.
Source: Synopsys
