Uber Launches In-App Parking Reservations Across 15 U.S. Cities, With Robotaxis in Its Sights

Uber on Monday introduced a new service that lets customers reserve and pay for parking in major U.S. cities—roughly nine months after the ride-hailing company acquired parking app SpotHero.

The February acquisition gave Uber access to a network of 13,000 garages, lots, and valet services across more than 400 cities. While the initial rollout targets human drivers, Uber also intends to use these parking locations to support the dozens of autonomous vehicle companies it has partnered with.

Parking as AV Infrastructure

According to Uber, the parking spots could serve as staging and waiting locations for autonomous vehicles, helping to reduce congestion and deadheading—the miles a vehicle travels without a paying passenger or cargo on board.

Initial Launch Markets

For now, the company is focusing on commuters driving their own vehicles. Uber Parking will initially launch in 15 U.S. cities: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC.

A Broader Commuter Strategy

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi signaled earlier this month that the company wants its app to play a larger role in daily commutes.

"Commute is one of our largest categories," he said during Uber's third-quarter earnings call. "And to be able to offer commuters an Uber to work, a pass to avoid surge, and parking if they want it when they want to drive is a great example of us building out our inventory of services to the commuter who is a top customer for us."

The parking service is the latest step in Uber's push to build an ecosystem of products that keep customers engaged with its app—from hailing rides and ordering food and groceries to package delivery, car rentals, hotel bookings, and connections to public transit and robotaxis.

Uber One as a Retention Engine

Uber's membership program, Uber One, is central to that strategy. The program attracts subscribers with rewards and credits, helping it grow to more than 55 million members as of September 30. As part of the parking launch, Uber is offering members a chance to earn 10% back in credits on eligible parking reservations. Those credits can later be applied to rides and Uber Eats orders.

Uber Parking can be accessed directly from the app's homescreen. Users enter their destination, select the date and time they need parking, and complete the reservation in the app.

via TechCrunch