The move is somewhat surprising, considering the company had recently halted its self-driving service in San Francisco due to a regulatory dispute with the California state government. Pittsburgh was the first city to receive autonomous vehicles, which were unveiled back in September. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey embraced the ride-hailing company and even took a ride in one of the new cars yesterday:
Arizona is pushing to eventually become a self-driving state. In 2015, Ducey signed an executive order urging state agencies to "undertake any necessary steps to support the testing and operation of self-driving vehicles on public roads within Arizona." The governor has also pushed for technology companies to partner with Arizona Universities — in 2015, Uber and the University of Arizona worked together on self-driving research to improve how cars 'see' when they are on the road. Uber hopes it can expand its self-driving car service to more cities in the coming weeks.
As a reminder, If you don't already have an Uber account, you can sign up through this link to receive a free ride (up to $20) from TPG. Keep in mind that there are certain credit cards that allow you to maximize the dollars you spend whenever you ride with Uber or Lyft — even if there isn't a human behind the wheel.
H/T: The Verge
