Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has officially launched its driverless robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, exclusively on the Uber app. This marks a significant milestone in the autonomous vehicle market, as Waymo becomes the first company to offer a fully autonomous ride-hailing service to the public.

The service is currently available within a 37-square-mile area in Austin, which includes popular destinations such as Hyde Park, Downtown, and Montopolis. While the service is limited to local streets and does not operate on highways, it represents a significant step forward in the development of autonomous transportation.

Waymo's fleet in Austin is relatively small at launch, with the company declining to share the exact number of vehicles. However, Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli stated that the fleet will grow to hundreds of vehicles over time. This is a significant expansion, considering Waymo's current fleet of around 700 vehicles, most of which are operating in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.

To increase their chances of being paired with a driverless vehicle, Austin residents can opt-in to autonomous rides in the Uber app settings under "Ride Preferences." Waymo has been eyeing Austin as its next robotaxi market since at least August 2023, with the company beginning to offer rides to "Early Testers" in October 2024.

The partnership between Waymo and Uber is a significant development in the autonomous vehicle market. The two companies first announced a deal to put Waymo's robotaxis on Uber's app in 2023, with Austin being the first city to launch the service. Waymo's own ride-hail app, Waymo One, will not be operational in Austin, with customers being redirected to Uber's app instead.

This partnership marks a significant shift in the autonomous vehicle market, as Waymo and Uber put aside their past rivalries to accelerate the transition to autonomous vehicles. The launch of the service in Austin signals the start of a new era of cooperation between the two companies, with Uber managing fleet services, including vehicle cleaning, maintenance, inspections, EV charging, and depot operations.

Despite the significance of this launch, it's important to remember that Uber and Waymo weren't always so chummy. In 2017, Waymo sued Uber and its subsidiary, self-driving truck startup Otto, over allegations of trade secret theft and patent infringement. The case went to trial but ended abruptly when the two sides reached a surprise settlement. Uber later admitted to misappropriating some of Waymo's tech and vowed to license it for future use.

As Waymo eyes more markets, experts agree that the business will take a long time to grow. Uber estimates that the autonomous vehicle market in the US alone is a trillion-dollar opportunity, but CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated that it will take "many, many years" to build out and scale.

Despite the challenges ahead, the launch of Waymo's autonomous vehicle service in Austin marks a significant milestone in the development of autonomous transportation. As the technology continues to evolve and improve, it's likely that we'll see more partnerships and collaborations between companies in the autonomous vehicle market.