The steering wheel is still there, but no one’s holding it. Starting June 24, Uber riders in Atlanta can now be matched with a fully autonomous Waymo vehicle. The rollout is live. The cars are real. The service covers 65 square miles of the city, stretching from Downtown to Buckhead to Capitol View. The vehicles are electric Jaguar I-PACEs, operated by Waymo’s fifth-generation self-driving system. Riders unlock the car, pop the trunk, and start the trip—all from the Uber app. No driver. No tip prompt. No added fee.
This is not a test run. The launch follows a full deployment in Austin, where Waymo rides now average 4.9 stars. Atlanta is the next step. The fleet starts with dozens of vehicles and is expected to scale into the hundreds. The rides are available through UberX, Uber Comfort, and Uber Comfort Electric. Riders can opt in through the app. If matched with a Waymo, they can accept or decline the trip. If they decline, a human driver is dispatched instead.
$UBER & $GOOGL WAYMO LAUNCH FULLY AUTONOMOUS RIDES IN ATLANTA — NOW LIVE ACROSS 65 SQUARE MILESpic.twitter.com/wjINHiJFaD
— Shay Boloor (@StockSavvyShay) June 24, 2025
The vehicles operate only on surface streets. No airport pickups. No interstate driving. The system is geofenced. The cars run 24 hours a day. The software was updated in late 2024 after a recall involving minor collisions with gates and barriers. No injuries were reported. The current version is tuned for urban navigation and has been cleared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Waymo handles the autonomous tech. Uber manages dispatch, cleaning, and customer support. Riders can contact support through the app or through the in-car touchscreen. The companies first partnered in Phoenix, then expanded to Austin. Atlanta is now the third city where Uber offers Waymo rides. The goal is to normalize driverless travel. The strategy is to make it seamless.
The pricing is flat. A Waymo ride costs the same as a regular UberX. No premium. No surcharge. Riders are not prompted to tip. The vehicles are monitored remotely. Roadside assistance is on standby. The system is designed to handle stalled traffic, construction zones, and unprotected left turns. The cars are not perfect. But they are live. And they are moving.
Sources:
https://www.aol.com/news/uber-waymo-launch-autonomous-ride-110237504.html