Waymo's exclusive partnership with UBER.US (UBER.US) and Robotaxi will end in 2028

The Zhitong Finance App learned that Waymo, an autonomous driving company under Alphabet (GOOGL.US), plans to end its exclusive Robotaxi partnership with Uber (UBER.US) in Austin and Atlanta in January 2028. At that time, customers can book autonomous driving itineraries through the Waymo app. Waymo Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana revealed the decision in an interview.

Mawakana said the decision stemmed from customer feedback. Customers want a more consistent experience when booking self-driving trips.

Currently, customers in Austin and Atlanta can only reserve Waymo vehicles through the Uber platform, but there is no guarantee that a successful match will be made, as availability depends on whether there are cars nearby. “We collaborated early on because we didn't have the scale; in this kind of collaboration, the experience was a bit like a matter of chance.” Mawakana is displayed.

An Uber spokesperson said the company had asked Waymo to introduce a dedicated Robotaxi option in its app for Austin and Atlanta customers, but Waymo declined the request.

Waymo currently operates around 4,000 vehicles in the US and provides more than 500,000 trips per week in 14 cities. As the business expands, the company is also investing heavily in fleet expansion and technology development, while facing issues such as profitability, ride costs, and safety challenges.