Delivering the Goods

Austin among first markets to score new Costco delivery service via Uber

You'll never have to face this sight again.

Courtesy photo

Uber and Costco have entered a new partnership in which Uber will deliver Costco merchandise, and the first place it's being offered is — ta-da — Texas.

According to a release, the two companies have entered a delivery pilot program with 25 locations across the state, where Costco members can theoretically get their Costco goods delivered within hours, if not minutes, with Uber and Uber Eats.

No more driving to the Costco to get your 64-count case of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. No more trying to wedge your jumbo 12-pack of paper towels into the back of your SUV.

Costco currently offers online ordering and delivery through its own channels and additional third parties.

But starting now, Uber users in Austin, Dallas, and Houston can order from their local Costco warehouses.

Over the coming weeks, seven additional Costco warehouses will be available to Uber users via Uber and Uber Eats mobile apps. The minimum order amount is $35 and delivery is free for Uber Pass and Eats Pass holders.

This is Uber's first pilot with a food wholesaler in the United States.

But Uber is all over the grocery beat. The company just formed its first grocery partnership with Albertson's, for more than 400 cities and towns across the U.S. Major metro areas now include Miami, Dallas, New York City, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Phoenix, with more to come throughout 2021.

"One thing we know to be true is that people across the United States are looking for convenient and affordable ways to stock their pantries without leaving home — especially for last-minute must-have items," said Raj Beri, Uber's head of grocery delivery. "[The] announcement with Costco is an important step towards marrying the magic of wholesale retail with on-demand delivery in the palm of your hand, and I'm thrilled that Texans are getting a first look at what's to come."

Warehouses available as of July 20 include those in:

Arlington
Austin
Bunker Hill
Cedar Park
Cypress
Dallas
Duncanville
El Paso
East Plano
Fort Worth
Frisco
Galleria
Humble
Lewisville
McKinney
North Fort Worth
Pearland
Pflugerville
Rockwall
South Austin
Southlake
Sugar Land
Willowbrook
West Katy
West Plano

The seven warehouses still to come are in:

Lubbock
Northwest San Antonio
Pharr
Selma
Sonterra Park
Webster
Woodlands

technology supermarkets

Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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