Waymo, whose relationship with Uber has deteriorated over robotaxi legislation, is considering ending its partnership with Uber.
Waymo, which operates robotaxis using autonomous driving technology, is reportedly considering ending its partnership with ride-hailing giant Uber, which has been in place since October 2023.
Waymo explores split with Uber as robotaxi tensions deepen
Uber and Waymo to end exclusivity arrangement in Atlanta and Austin
Waymo Plans End of Uber Robotaxi Tie-Up, Stepping Up Rivalry - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-24/waymo-explores-exit-from-uber-robotaxi-partnership-ft-says
Uber had been working on developing its own autonomous driving technology since around 2015, but around 2022 it abandoned its independent development efforts and sought partnerships with other companies. In October 2023, it partnered with Waymo.
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The partnership allows users to hail Waymo robotaxis through the Uber app and has been available in Phoenix, Arizona; Austin, Texas; and Atlanta, Georgia. In these areas, Waymo robotaxis could only be hail through the Uber app, and vehicle operation and management were handled by Uber and its partner, Waymo.
The two companies were far from having a close relationship. Waymo complained that Uber's robotaxis had issues with vehicle cleanliness and route planning, while Uber expressed dissatisfaction with being restricted in its service deployment. As a result, they did not renew the contract for Phoenix, which expired in May 2026, and terminated the collaborative service.
The remaining contracts in Austin and Atlanta are set to expire in May 2028, and Waymo has already notified Uber that it will make robotaxis available on its own app in parallel with its existing service starting in January 2028.
While the area where Waymo's robotaxis are available through the Uber app has not expanded beyond Atlanta, the third city, Waymo operates robotaxis services in six cities other than San Francisco and Los Angeles, and the dissolution of the partnership is expected to be a blow to Uber. After the Financial Times article first reported rumors of the partnership's dissolution, Uber's stock price fell 4.3%, while Alphabet's rose less than 1%. According to the Wall Street Journal, Uber's stock price has fallen by nearly 20% since the start of 2026.
Furthermore, Uber has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in autonomous driving technology companies that are rivals to Waymo, and in July 2025, it announced plans to develop its own robotaxi business in partnership with EV manufacturer Lucid and Nuro, a company created by engineers who spun off from Waymo.
However, all of Uber's investments in robotaxi businesses are smaller in scale than Waymo, and it is unlikely that they will be able to launch their services until at least the second half of 2026 or later.
Perhaps for this reason, Uber has intensified its lobbying efforts to pass robotaxi legislation favorable to its own interests, leading to a decisive conflict with Waymo. The Financial Times quotes experts as saying that 'Uber is merely proposing measures to maintain its own position and is trying to buy time.'
Neither Waymo nor Uber have issued an official statement regarding this matter.
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