Waymo Self-Driving Taxis Available to Public in Austin

Members of the public will now be able to hail a Waymo self-driving taxi in Austin.

Up until now, the autonomous cabs had only been available to employees, but by opening the service to the public, the company has moved a significant step closer to a commercial launch in the Texas city.

For the time being, selected customers will be able to order a Waymo taxi through the firm’s own Waymo One app.

The news was announced via a post on X, which explained: “This week, we’re beginning to welcome riders in Austin from our interest list to try our fully autonomous ride-hail experience. Riders will travel across 37 square miles of the city, as we prepare for our commercial launch early next year – exclusively on the Uber app.” 

Potential customers have been invited for some time to sign up to the “interest list” on Waymo’s website.

The service will operate 24/7, although it is unclear at this stage how many self-driving cabs will be deployed in the initial fleet.

A map published by Waymo shows the coverage area at launch will be generous, ranging from Hyde Park through Downtown to South Lamar and Montopolis. It has not yet been confirmed what, if any fees, will be applicable, but previous Waymo rollouts suggest the service will be free for a period before fares are introduced.

Related:Waymo Launches Driverless Taxi Service in Austin

Austin will become the fourth city where Waymo’s converted Jaguar I-Pace autonomous taxis are available to the public, following San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles, with a fifth – Atlanta – also earmarked for the launch of the Uber deal next year.

That multi-year partnership, announced in September, will see the company’s AVs offered on the app of the ride-hailing giant – although when that service is launched “in early 2025,” the Waymo One app will no longer function in Austin.

The Waymo One service is expected to run for a few months before the transition is formalized.

And intriguingly, there is also the prospect of Waymo’s familiar Jaguar SUVs being joined in Austin by its next-generation taxi, which features new tech and is based on underpinnings supplied by Chinese brand Zeekr.

Just prior to confirming the news of its Austin soft launch, the company posted on X: “Keep your eyes peeled as we continue testing our 6th-gen Waymo Driver on the Zeekr platform across our Waymo One cities this fall.”