Uber Eats customers in the Phoenix metropolitan area may soon find their orders arriving via a Waymo self-driving car, a first for the region.
This new offering, launching on Wednesday, signifies the official commencement of Uber’s delivery collaboration with Waymo, part of a larger, multi-year partnership between the two entities announced last year. Previously, in October, Uber had initiated rides in Waymo’s autonomous vehicles in Phoenix.
While Phoenix becomes the seventh location for Uber Eats autonomous deliveries, it stands as the premier city where the delivery platform incorporates Waymo’s vehicles.
Collaborations with robotics firms such as Cartken, Motional, Nuro, and Serve Robotics have already enabled pilot autonomous deliveries in other markets.
In Arizona, this latest advancement is initially available to Uber Eats users in Phoenix, Chandler, Mesa, and Tempe, with select merchants offering delivery within these cities. According to an Uber spokesperson speaking to CNBC, service areas are expanding, with more restaurants set to qualify for autonomous deliveries soon.
Orders will be fulfilled using Waymo’s Jaguar I-PACE electric vehicles, with the spokesperson noting that Waymo, an Alphabet-owned company, does not disclose fleet sizes.
In regions served by Waymo, Uber Eats customers have the option to choose courier delivery. While standard fees apply with Waymo, customers will not incur additional charges for tips, confirmed the Uber spokesperson.
Uber emphasized in a blog post that “The addition of food delivery to Uber’s ongoing partnership with Waymo reflects both companies’ mission to encourage zero-emission trips and unlock greater innovation for consumers and merchants in Phoenix and beyond.”
Uber has not disclosed plans regarding the expansion of Waymo deliveries to other cities. However, Waymo’s primary ride-hailing service is operational in parts of Los Angeles and San Francisco, extending its reach beyond Phoenix.
