Uber on Monday launched a new service that lets customers reserve and pay for parking in major U.S. cities, about nine months after the ride-hailing company acquired parking app SpotHero.
The service, called Uber Parking, is available from the app's homescreen. Users enter a destination, date and time, browse an interactive map of available spots and pay through their Uber account, without switching to a separate booking app.
The launch covers 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, D.C. Uber says it plans to expand to more markets, though it has given no timetable.
The acquisition, announced in February, gives Uber access to SpotHero's network of more than 13,000 garages, lots and valet services across more than 400 cities in the United States and Canada. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and SpotHero will continue to operate as a separate app.
Uber said the parking spots could also be used as staging and waiting locations for autonomous vehicles, helping reduce congestion and "deadheading" — miles a vehicle travels without a paying passenger. For now, the company plans to focus on commuters driving their own vehicles.
The move is part of Uber's push to make its app more relevant to commuters and to build an ecosystem that keeps customers using it for rides, food and grocery orders, delivery, car rentals, hotel bookings, public transit and robotaxis. Uber One subscribers receive 10 percent back on eligible parking reservations.
