Hot on the heels of their partnership announcement, Uber and Volkswagen will soon be launching shared autonomous rides, the companies said Wednesday. The initiative is slated to kick off in Los Angeles in 2026.

Uber will revive carpooling with Volkswagen ID.Buzz vans, offering passengers a roomier and potentially cheaper ride over Waymo, and beat Tesla's 'robovan' to the punch.

Uber has been looking to invest in more affordable transport and delivery offerings. Its new additions may win cost-conscious customers.

The company unveils its cheapest ride option yet, price-lock features, prepaid ride bundles, and dining deals as part of a push to attract budget-conscious users.

A new Uber service will operate shuttles in select cities along set routes, offering pickups every 20 minutes.

Uber announced a new type of ride that travels along a set route, comes every 20 minutes, includes up to two other passengers, and costs up to 50 percent less than an UberX ride. In other words, a bus.