rewrite this title Uber Expands Self-Driving Car Options to More Cities – NerdWallet

You can now book a self-driving car through the Uber app in more cities than before.

Starting March 4, 2025, Uber riders in Austin, Texas can now use the app to hail a self-driving vehicle operated by Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet.

Austin joins Phoenix, which has been offering Waymo rides via Uber since 2023. Later this year, Uber users in Atlanta will be able to book Waymo self-driving rides.

Unlike in San Francisco, where Waymo rides are often more expensive than Uber, Austin’s Waymo prices are the same as Uber prices. If your assigned ride in Austin is a Waymo, you won’t be prompted to tip.

Customers who request rides to eligible areas in Austin can opt in to being picked up in a Waymo autonomous vehicle, which is an electric Jaguar I-PACE.

Booking an Uber in Austin doesn’t necessarily guarantee you’ll get a self-driving car. If there’s no autonomous car availability, you might still get a standard Uber. And of course, riders who prefer human drivers can opt out of Waymo entirely. You can adjust your preferred vehicle via the Ride Preferences section under Settings in the Uber app.

If they are paired with a Waymo, a car will arrive at the designated pickup location. From there, riders can unlock the doors, open the trunk and start their trip from the Uber app.

Aside from Uber, Waymo also offers driverless rides to customers in San Francisco and Los Angeles. But unlike its operations in Austin and Phoenix, riders in those cities seeking to hail a Waymo self-driving car will have to order it through Waymo’s own app. Waymo also has plans to launch services bookable via its own Waymo app in Miami in 2026. Phoenix riders can hail cars either through the Waymo app or Uber. For the other cities, there are no current plans to integrate with Uber.