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Waymo plans to end its Uber partnership for robotaxi rides in Austin and Atlanta starting in January 2028, Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana told Bloomberg. Waymo intends to serve riders in those cities through its own app, while Uber says it offered a dedicated robotaxi option on its service. The companies have not detailed how the change will affect riders or operations during the transition.
Waymo plans to end its robotaxi partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta starting in January 2028, shifting rides in both cities to its own app, Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana told Bloomberg. The change would end Uber’s role as the exclusive way for riders in those markets to request a driverless Waymo and make the two companies direct competitors there.
At present, riders seeking a driverless Waymo in Austin or Atlanta can request one through the Uber app under an exclusive arrangement. Uber’s app has a setting for autonomous rides, but the source report says a rider may instead be matched with a human driver if no Waymo vehicle is nearby. Mawakana said that uncertainty had become a problem as customers sought a more consistent experience.
Uber said it offered to add a dedicated robotaxi option to its service so customers could be matched with driverless cars more directly. According to the report, Waymo declined the offer. Mawakana described the partnership’s early operation as a “crapshoot,” explaining that Waymo had partnered when it lacked the scale to serve riders on its own.
From January 2028, Waymo expects to operate in Austin and Atlanta through its own dedicated app, as it does in other markets. The announcement concerns those two cities; it does not mean Waymo is ending all partnerships with other ride-hailing companies. The source report says Waymo continues to work with Lyft in Nashville, where the arrangement is not exclusive and riders can also use Waymo’s app.
The change would alter how customers find Waymo rides in two growing markets. Uber gives Waymo access to an established ride-hailing platform and its large user base; moving to a standalone app gives Waymo more control over how riders request its vehicles. The shift also removes Uber as the exclusive booking channel for Waymo robotaxis in Austin and Atlanta.
For Uber, the decision means it will need to compete directly with Waymo in those cities while pursuing its own plans to offer autonomous rides from multiple technology and vehicle partners. Uber’s role as a platform connecting riders with different robotaxi operators could still matter, but the report does not say which providers or vehicles will be available in Austin or Atlanta by 2028.
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Partnership Built on Uber’s Reach
The arrangement was intended to help Waymo reach more riders by using Uber’s established app and operational experience. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has expanded its paid driverless service across U.S. cities. The source report says the company was operating in 15 U.S. cities and providing more than 500,000 paid driverless trips each week at the time of publication. Those figures describe the report’s publication period, not a projection for 2028.
Waymo’s move to manage Austin and Atlanta rides through its own app follows a model already used in many of its other markets. The report says Waymo planned to add more than a dozen cities in the coming months. Uber, meanwhile, has pursued agreements with several companies developing autonomous vehicles, including Rivian, Lucid and Wayve, and has set targets to expand the number of robotaxis available through its platform.
The two companies’ interests are not entirely separate across the United States: Waymo’s Nashville arrangement with Lyft remains in place, according to the report. That example shows the Austin and Atlanta decision does not, by itself, establish that Waymo will stop working with ride-hailing platforms elsewhere.
Rider and Market Details Remain Open
The companies have not provided a detailed plan for how the change will be carried out, including whether existing Uber users will receive guidance or how requests will work as January 2028 approaches. The report does not say whether Uber will continue offering robotaxi rides from other providers in Austin and Atlanta, or which autonomous services it may offer there.
It is also unclear whether the companies might reach a different agreement before the planned end date. The source material gives Mawakana’s explanation for Waymo’s decision and Uber’s account of its proposed app feature, but does not include a detailed response from Uber on the planned separation or its commercial terms.
The January 2028 Service Shift
The stated next milestone is January 2028, when Waymo plans to end the Uber arrangement in Austin and Atlanta and serve riders through its own app. Until then, the companies’ current arrangement remains the reported way to request a driverless Waymo in those cities. Further details about timing, customer instructions and Uber’s competing robotaxi offerings have not been announced in the source material.
Readers should watch for updates from both companies on how the change will affect ride availability and booking options. Waymo’s continuing partnerships elsewhere, including its nonexclusive Nashville arrangement with Lyft, are separate from this announced plan unless the companies say otherwise.
Key Questions
When will Waymo stop offering rides through Uber in Austin and Atlanta?
Waymo plans to end the partnership in both cities starting in January 2028, according to Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana’s comments to Bloomberg.
How will riders book Waymo robotaxis after the change?
Waymo plans to serve riders through its own dedicated app in Austin and Atlanta, rather than relying on Uber as the booking platform.
Why is Waymo ending the Uber arrangement?
Mawakana said the Uber app does not guarantee a driverless ride: if no Waymo is nearby, a rider may be matched with a human driver. She said customers were seeking a more consistent experience.
Is Waymo ending all partnerships with ride-hailing apps?
No such broader move was announced in the source report. It says Waymo continues to partner with Lyft in Nashville, where the arrangement is nonexclusive and Waymo also offers rides through its own app.
Will Uber still offer robotaxi rides in Austin and Atlanta?
The source material does not specify which robotaxi services Uber will offer in either city after Waymo leaves the partnership. Uber has agreements with multiple autonomous-vehicle companies, but availability in those markets has not been confirmed.
Source: insideevs.com
