What it's like to ride in a self-driving car
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Uber's and Waymo's new partnership will allow Austin riders to call an autonomous ride on the Uber app. Photo: Courtesy of Uber
I recently took a trip across town in a Waymo car, which — starting Tuesday — is available for Austin riders exclusively on the Uber app.
Why it matters: A growing number of Austin residents now have access to the technology, and Waymo and Uber officials say they plan to expand the cars' service area in the future.
Flashback: As part of a preview for journalists, I used Waymo's app to call a car to my friend's apartment in Clarksville and watched the vehicle head to our pickup point on the app's map.
- It arrived on time and pulled over to wait for us on the side of the road.
- I used the app to unlock the car, and we hopped in. An intro message played, reminding us to buckle up, stay in our seats and avoid touching the steering wheel.
- The car started rolling, and after getting over the initial eerie feeling that the steering wheel was moving on its own, I felt safe and relaxed as the car stopped for all traffic signals and navigated its way from Clarksville to Central Market on North Lamar.
Zoom in: Screens in the front and back seat showed us how much longer it would take until we reached our destination. We could also control the temperature and music.
Between the lines: The car couldn't get us all the way to our final destination in Northwest Austin. Waymo's service area covers 37 square miles of Austin — from Hyde Park, to downtown, to Montopolis.
- And we took the long way. Waymo's service area doesn't include highways, so our car traveled down Lamar rather than jumping on Mopac to take us to the grocery store.
- We called an Uber from Central Market to get us the rest of the way. Not very efficient, but we had a lot of fun.
The bottom line: I've had my fair share of heart-pounding interactions with drivers, who speed, run lights or narrowly avoid accidents. As technology gets better and better, I can see this being a safe option for traveling around Central Austin.
📱 Try it: Uber customers can boost their chances of getting matched with a Waymo by opting in via the "ride preferences" section of their Uber app.
- Not interested? No problem. Before a nearby Waymo vehicle is sent your way, riders have the option to accept or switch to a non-AV ride.