To develop entry to its self-driving automobiles, Waymo is teaming up with an unlikely accomplice: Uber.
The businesses introduced a “multi-year strategic partnership” to make Waymo rides accessible on the Uber app for customers in Phoenix, Arizona. The information is considerably shocking on condition that Uber and Waymo had been locked in a tense authorized battle over stolen commerce secrets and techniques a number of years again.
“This integration will launch publicly later this 12 months with a set variety of Waymo automobiles throughout Waymo’s newly expanded working territory in Phoenix, and can embody native deliveries and ride-hailing journeys,” the businesses mentioned in a weblog publish.
They’re also describing the partnership as a win-win for both companies. Waymo—a subsidiary of Google’s parent Alphabet—gets to tap Uber’s large user base. In return, Uber can offer robo-taxi rides, years after it sold off its own self-driving business. (That said, Uber is still engaged on autonomous taxis via a partnership with Motional, a three way partnership between Hyundai and Irish-American automotive provider Aptiv.)
At the moment, Waymo is providing self-driving rides via its personal cell app, Waymo One. Nevertheless it solely has about 100,000 downloads, together with a 3.6 star evaluate, on Google Play. In distinction, Uber has been downloaded over 500 million occasions and has maintained a 4.7 star evaluate.
The 2 firms beforehand feuded again in 2017 after Waymo accused a former worker of stealing its commerce secrets and techniques and giving them as much as Uber. The following lawsuit demanded the court docket droop Uber from its autonomous automobile analysis till the case was settled. However a 12 months later, Uber reached a settlement that concerned giving up a 0.34% stake, valued at $245 million, to Waymo. Uber additionally named a brand new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi.
Each firms nonetheless compete for a similar riders as Waymo regularly expands its self-driving automobiles to extra cities. One massive query is whether or not Uber will provide Waymo rides in further areas outdoors Phoenix. The corporate didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
