Waymo Ends Uber Phoenix Partnership
Waymo and Uber have decided to end their collaboration in Phoenix, Arizona, which had been ongoing for nearly three years, according to Zamin.uz.
According to TechCrunch, it is no longer possible to order Waymo robotaxis through the Uber app in the Phoenix area. This change comes at a time when competition in the sector is intensifying.
Representatives of Waymo, which is part of Alphabet, described the decision as the conclusion of a pilot program. It is reported that all autonomous vehicles previously operating within the Uber network have now been returned to Waymo’s private fleet and will continue serving customers only through Waymo’s own app.
Users in Phoenix had noticed in recent days that robotaxis disappeared from the Uber platform. Although the partnership has ended in Phoenix, both companies continue to collaborate in cities such as Austin and Atlanta.
According to Uber representatives, the Phoenix project served as a testing ground, and the lessons learned will help expand the initiative to other regions. Interestingly, Uber recently announced plans to partner with another autonomous driving technology developer in Phoenix, though the name of the new partner remains undisclosed for now.
Experts note that the relationship between Waymo and Uber has become increasingly complex. Both companies are expected to launch direct competition in London later this year.
At the same time, Waymo has begun deploying its next-generation robotaxis — the Ojai vans manufactured by Zeekr — while also working to attract new autonomous partners to its smaller network. Waymo currently operates in 11 major U.S. metropolitan areas and completes over 500,000 trips per week.
The company plans to launch its services in another 20 cities this year. The end of the partnership in Phoenix may be part of Waymo’s strategy to develop its ecosystem independently and reduce reliance on third-party platforms.
It is worth noting that the history of relations between these two companies has been quite contentious. In 2018, they were involved in a legal dispute over intellectual property, which was eventually settled.
The collaboration launched in 2023 came as a surprise to industry experts. Today, the robotaxi market is entering a new phase, with competitors like Cruise facing setbacks, and Waymo striving to maintain its leading position.
