Uber now lets users reserve parking in 15 US cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
The launch follows Uber's acquisition of SpotHero, an app built for booking parking spaces in advance. Only those three cities have been named. Fees, branding, deal terms, and the full city list were not disclosed.
The pairing looks odd at first. Uber's core pitch is that you can get somewhere without parking at all. Parking reservations serve the opposite trip, the one where you drive and need a place to leave the car. Uber has spent years stretching its app beyond rides, with food delivery the best-known example, and this extends that pattern to people who skip the ride entirely.
For drivers, the practical change is one fewer app to open if Uber's version works as SpotHero's did. That is an if. Without pricing or word on whether SpotHero's own app stays separate, there is no way to say whether booking through Uber costs the same, more, or less. That comparison is the first thing worth checking once the details arrive.