Waymo, Uber partner for autonomous ride hailing in Phoenix. Here's how it will work

Uber riders in the Phoenix area will have the option to book a driverless Waymo for their rides beginning Thursday, the company announced.

"This extends access to the Waymo Driver," said Nicole Gavel, the head of business development and strategic partnerships for Waymo.

Rides available in Tempe, parts of Phoenix and East Valley

Uber customers hailing rides within Waymo’s coverage area, which includes about 225 square miles, can get matched with a fully autonomous car if they choose to get paired with one.

Gavel said if riders get paired with a Waymo vehicle and want to instead ride with a human driver, they can decline the match in the app and be paired with another driver. Riders who would prefer to be matched with a Waymo more frequently can also select that as a preference.

Phoenix is the first city to launch the partnership between Waymo and Uber. Waymo’s coverage area includes downtown Phoenix and portions of central and south Phoenix, but does not extend west of Interstate 17. It also covers Tempe and large portions of Scottsdale, Mesa and Chandler. Metro Phoenix has the largest contiguous coverage area for an autonomous vehicle service in the world.

Gavel said Waymo is making a "limited number" of vehicles available to be hailed on the Uber app. The cars will look like Waymo vehicles that are already on the road, but will have some co-branding to show that they are both Waymo and Uber.

Waymos can be hailed in both apps

Waymo vehicles can still be hailed through the Waymo One app, which is available in the Apple App Store or the Google Play store. Waymo is committed to keeping the Waymo One app, Gavel said, and the companies are "learning together about what the value of this is going to be."

"We see Uber as an interesting way to get more people riding," Gavel said.

Uber to handle pricing

On Thursday morning, a ride from downtown Phoenix to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on the Uber app cost about $19. The same ride on the Waymo One app costs about $16. However, users do not tip a driverless vehicle.

Pricing will be handled by Uber, Gavel said.

“Our partnership with Uber gives their riders the chance to experience the Waymo Driver,” Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, said in a prepared statement. “As we continue to scale, we want as many people as possible to experience the safety, consistency and delight of riding with the Waymo Driver.”

Reach the reporter at cvanek@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter @CorinaVanek.