Uber & Waymo Autonomous Rides in Atlanta via Uber App
On Monday, residents of Atlanta gained access to a new era of transportation as Uber officially launched autonomous vehicle (AV) rides in partnership with Waymo. For the first time, Atlantans could be matched with a fully autonomous, all-electric Waymo Jaguar I-PACE — exclusively through the Uber app.
This rollout marked a significant milestone in Uber’s mission to reimagine mobility by integrating autonomous technology into its platform. Riders who requested UberX, Comfort, or Comfort Electric had the chance to be matched with a Waymo vehicle at no extra cost. Before dispatch, users were given the option to accept the AV ride or opt for a traditional driver.
The experience remained seamless, as riders used the familiar Uber interface to unlock doors, open the trunk, and start their journey. In case of questions or concerns, passengers had access to 24/7 support through both the Uber app and Waymo’s in-car system.
Safety remained a top priority throughout the launch. All AVs on Uber’s network were required to meet rigorous safety standards. Backed by millions of autonomous miles driven, Waymo vehicles had already demonstrated their potential to reduce traffic-related injuries in other cities.
At launch, the service covered a 65-square-mile area of Atlanta, stretching from Downtown to Buckhead to Capitol View. Riders who wished to prioritize AV rides were able to opt in via the Ride Preferences section in their app settings.
The Atlanta expansion followed a successful partnership in Austin, where more than 100 Waymo vehicles were active on the Uber platform and received an average rider rating of 4.9 stars.
With this rollout, Uber and Waymo further solidified their commitment to a safer, cleaner, and more autonomous future of urban mobility.
AEye Joins University of Toronto’s WinTOR Project
AEye, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIDR), a global leader in adaptive lidar technology, has partnered with the University of Toronto’s WinTOR project, an initiative focused on enhancing autonomous vehicle performance in challenging weather conditions. Backed by major sponsors including General Motors, LG Electronics, and the Ontario Research Fund, WinTOR aims to push the boundaries of AI, advanced perception, and autonomous driving. AEye’s Apollo lidar system, known for detecting objects up to one kilometer away, will be central to developing reliable all-weather perception systems. The collaboration seeks to enable safer, more dependable autonomous driving in rain, snow, and other low-visibility environments.
Torc Opens New Engineering Center in Ann Arbor
Torc, a leader in autonomous Class 8 truck development, has announced the opening of a new 32,000-square-foot engineering center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to accelerate its path to commercializing self-driving trucks by 2027. The expansion taps into the region’s deep automotive and tech talent pool, supported by incentives from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The Ann Arbor facility will host roles across machine learning, software, hardware, and systems engineering, further bolstering Torc’s national engineering network. This move follows Torc’s recent Dallas-Fort Worth expansion and reinforces its commitment to innovation and strategic talent growth in key mobility ecosystems.
Tesla Autonomous Car Delivery
Tesla has officially completed its first fully autonomous delivery of a Model Y from its Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, to a customer’s home on June 27, 2025, arriving a day ahead of schedule. The self-driving car navigated public roads—including highways—at speeds up to 72 mph, with no human occupants or remote operators involved at any point . Elon Musk hailed the achievement as a major breakthrough in Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology.
While Musk and Tesla claim this is the “first fully autonomous drive” with no personnel involvement, it follows Waymo’s driverless freeway testing for employees and Uber-style robotaxi trials, though those didn’t include customer delivery services . Regulators and experts note that broader deployment still faces obstacles—such as scaling commercialization, addressing safety concerns, and formal regulatory approvals—particularly following Tesla’s recent autonomous taxi pilot in Austin .