Uber and Volkswagen will soon launch a shared autonomous ride soon after the announcement of their partnership, the two companies said Wednesday. The initiative is scheduled to kick off in Los Angeles in 2026.
Riders will be able to hail fully electric autonomous driving on ID Buzz Ad Ad Minivan. In April, the two companies said they would deploy thousands of minivans in “multiple” U.S. cities over the next decade. Testing is scheduled to begin later this year, ahead of its 2026 commercial launch in Los Angeles. Human operators will join the vehicle in the initial stages to ensure everything goes well.
“Automatic technology will lead to a safer and more affordable future for everyone, and we can't wait to expand access around the world,” Uber said in a press release.
Currently, passengers in some cities can summon self-driving cars through platforms such as Uber and Waymo, but these rides are not shared. Alphabet owned Waymo provides fully autonomous rides to the public in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, and held a launch event for Atlanta later this year. Depending on the city, you can hail Waymo through the company's Waymo One app or the Uber app. Uber has partnered with more than a dozen other self-driving car companies, including May Mobility and Nuro.
Shared rides can also address concerns about self-driving cars that increase traffic congestion. Critics point to the “miles in the air” that come with self-driving cars roaming between pickups. If multiple people jump on the same car, there will be someone on the boat.
Shared autonomous rides are also a way for passengers to save money. In my experience, the cost of Waymo in San Francisco is usually slightly higher than a ride that is artificially driven through Uber and Lyft. In cities where Uber offers rides on self-driving cars on Waymo, it says the price is comparable to standard non-AV rides. Shared autonomous rides can be further developed by giving you discounts – sharing space with strangers.
