Waymo confirms it will split with Uber in January 2028
News Source
•Wed, 04 Nov 2026 18:12:30 +0000
📰 What Happened
Waymo will end its partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta in January 2028. Riders there will book robotaxis through Waymo's own app instead, as they already do in other cities.
Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana told Bloomberg that Uber gave Waymo scale, but the rider experience was “a little bit of a crapshoot”. Customers never knew whether a robotaxi or a human-driven car would arrive.
Uber said the decision was Waymo's, and that Waymo chose not to add a robotaxi booking option inside Uber's app.
🔍 The Backstory
Waymo is owned by Alphabet, Google's parent company, and is the largest robotaxi operator in the United States. It began as Google's self-driving car project in 2009.
The Uber deal, announced in 2023, put Waymo cars on Uber's app in Phoenix before expanding to Austin and Atlanta. It was due to run until May 2028.
Uber now works with several other self-driving companies, so it loses one partner but keeps others. Waymo wants a direct relationship with riders so it can sell its own subscriptions and services.
🎯 Why It Matters
Robotaxi prices and app choices affect how people get around cities. Booking direct may be simpler, but riders lose the choice of one app for every trip.
Waymo will end its partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta in January 2028. Riders there will book robotaxis through Waymo's own app instead, as they already do in other cities.
Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana told Bloomberg that Uber gave Waymo scale, but the rider experience was “a little bit of a crapshoot”. Customers never knew whether a robotaxi or a human-driven car would arrive.
Uber said the decision was Waymo's, and that Waymo chose not to add a robotaxi booking option inside Uber's app.
Waymo is owned by Alphabet, Google's parent company, and is the largest robotaxi operator in the United States. It began as Google's self-driving car project in 2009.
The Uber deal, announced in 2023, put Waymo cars on Uber's app in Phoenix before expanding to Austin and Atlanta. It was due to run until May 2028.
Uber now works with several other self-driving companies, so it loses one partner but keeps others. Waymo wants a direct relationship with riders so it can sell its own subscriptions and services.
Robotaxi prices and app choices affect how people get around cities. Booking direct may be simpler, but riders lose the choice of one app for every trip.