(Bloomberg / Natalie Lung) — Waymo robotaxis made up about 20% of rides offered by Uber Technologies Inc. in Austin in the last week of March, underscoring how consumers have warmed to the autonomous service since the companies launched a partnership early last month.
The analysis was based on customer email receipts collected by market analytics firm YipitData. The firm also found that Waymo, Alphabet Inc.’s autonomous vehicle unit, has racked up 80% more driverless rides in its operating zone in Austin in the first 27 days of offering service than it did in the early days of its San Francisco launch. A key difference in the rollout is that Waymo trips are exclusively available through Uber in Austin, while in San Francisco they’re available only through Waymo’s own app.
YipitData says its analysis represents approximations of real-world performance, rather than precise estimates, because Waymo passengers are only a subset of the more than 1 million monthly active users on its email dashboard. But the figures show the speed at which consumers are opting for autonomous rides, particularly when they’re offered through a popular ride-hailing app like Uber that users may already have on their phones.
Prior to launching with Uber in Austin in early March, Waymo was offering autonomous rides through its own Waymo One app in Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles. In these markets, consumer access was on a limited invite-only basis for several months before the company committed to a wider rollout. Waymo service in Atlanta will also be offered exclusively through the Uber app when it begins this summer.
YipitData’s analysis was first shared on Wednesday by Andreessen Horowitz Partner Alex Immerman on the social media site X, and later reposted by Uber’s Head of Investor Relations Balaji Krishnamurthy. An Uber spokesperson declined to comment on whether YipitData’s numbers were consistent with its own internal statistics. A Waymo spokesperson also declined to comment.
In Austin rides are limited to a 37-square-mile operating zone, including from Hyde Park, to downtown and to Montopolis. Uber said in February it plans to expand it in the future. Customers may be matched with Waymo’s electric Jaguar vehicles depending on nearby availability and have the option to accept or switch to a non-driverless vehicle before one is dispatched.
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