Parking track for the first race after acquiring SpotHero! Uber (UBER.US) launched a parking space reservation function, covering 15 US cities in the first batch

The Zhitong Finance App learned that Uber (UBER.US) has launched a new parking space reservation function. This is also the first step it has taken on the parking track after acquiring the parking app SpotHero earlier this year.

Uber announced on Monday that users of the Uber app can use this new service — the homepage is marked with a “P” icon to search for parking garages, parking lots, and valet parking services according to a specified date and time period. The feature initially launched in 15 US cities, including Chicago, San Francisco, Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., and will expand to more cities in the future.

An Uber spokesperson said that through this SpotHero acquisition deal, Uber has access to more than 13,000 parking lot resources in North America. The company plans to keep the SpotHero standalone app while integrating parking capabilities into the main Uber platform.

This is Uber's latest move to continue to launch new products and win over users in addition to its ace online car-hailing business. Last week, Uber CEO Dara Kosrosasi told analysts during an earnings call that the parking feature would make Uber more attractive to commuters, and commuters are one of Uber's core customer groups. Since 2025, Uber has launched a variety of products for this group: a more cost-effective ride-sharing service and monthly price-locked passes, which can set fare caps for fixed itineraries to avoid sudden price increases during peak periods.

Paid Uber One users can also get 10% credit back after completing an eligible parking space reservation, which can be used for subsequent taxi or takeout orders.

Uber mentioned in the announcement that the acquisition of SpotHero could also help develop its autonomous driving business. Currently, Uber is cooperating with more than 10 manufacturers of autonomous taxis and delivery robots to help manage fleet dispatch, charging, and maintenance plans, and increase the online operation time of vehicles.

Samas Kejriwal, senior director of Uber's autonomous driving business, said, “The core goal of laying out the parking business is to reduce the cost per mile for users.” He explained that having autonomous taxis stop at a parking spot closer to users' needs rather than returning to a dedicated maintenance and charging station can maximize operational efficiency.

Kejriwal added that although Uber has previously reached parking arrangements with some autonomous driving partners, after grasping the commercial contract resources between SpotHero and US parking service providers, Uber is expected to get more favorable parking offers before launching autonomous taxi services in more cities.

He said, “At the end of the day, what passengers value most is price and service stability.”