Waymo Confirms It Will Split With Uber in January 2028

Waymo will officially end its partnership with Uber in the Austin and Atlanta markets starting in January 2028, co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana told Bloomberg News in a report published Wednesday.

Instead, the robotaxi company will offer rides directly through its own smartphone app, as it does in other cities. Mawakana's comments confirm earlier reporting by the Financial Times that Waymo was looking to exit its deal with Uber, which was set to expire in May 2028.

Why Waymo Is Going Direct

Mawakana told Bloomberg that Waymo initially partnered with Uber because the ride-hail giant offered scale. But the rider experience has been "a little bit of a crapshoot," she said—particularly because riders never know for sure whether they're hailing a robotaxi or a human-driven car.

"It's important for us to have that relationship with the rider. We've gotten that feedback from the riders in those markets," Mawakana said.

Uber's Response

Uber—which counts many robotaxi and other autonomous vehicle partners among its collaborators—told Bloomberg that it was Waymo's idea not to add an option in the ride-hail giant's app to book a robotaxi directly.

The split marks a notable shift in the autonomous vehicle landscape as 2028 approaches. Waymo is betting that owning the direct relationship with riders will strengthen its brand and improve the customer experience, even as Uber continues to build out its own network of autonomous vehicle partnerships.

via TechCrunch