Uber Teams Up with Avride for Autonomous Delivery and Rides

Uber is taking another step towards autonomous transportation and commerce through a new partnership with autonomous vehicle developer Avride. The companies announced that joint services will commence in the coming weeks, with advanced services planned for the future.

“We are excited to partner with Uber as we scale our operations and work together to further improve the delivery experience for both consumers and merchants. We plan to expand the total fleet of Avride robots operating within Uber Eats to hundreds in 2025, followed by the launch of our robotaxi service," said Avride CEO Dmitry Polishchuk.

Robot Delivery Services to Launch Soon

Initially, delivery services will be handled by sidewalk robots developed by Avride. Austin will be the first city to experience these robots through the partnership, with plans to expand into Dallas and Jersey City, NJ, later this year.

Autonomous car-based deliveries through Uber and Uber Eats are scheduled to commence in the future, starting in Dallas next year. After launch, consumers requesting a qualifying delivery or ride on the Uber Eats or Uber apps may be offered the option to have their trip fulfilled by an Avride delivery robot or autonomous vehicle.

Waymo and Uber Expand Driverless Rides to Austin

Last month, Waymo and Uber announced the expansion of their driverless rideshare program into the Austin area in the near future. The service, known as the Waymo One experience, is already operating in three U.S. cities and is set to launch in Austin and Atlanta. The feature will be available exclusively on the Uber app and is slated to start in early 2025.

When driverless rides begin, they will utilize a fleet of Waymo’s fully autonomous, all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, with plans to expand the fleet to hundreds of vehicles over time.

Beck Andrew Salgado covers trending topics in the Austin business ecosystem for the American-Statesman. To share additional tips or insights with Salgado, email Bsalgado@gannett.com.