Waymo reportedly weighs ending its ride-hailing deal with Uber

Waymo is reportedly looking for a way out of its deal with Uber, which has made the Alphabet-owned company’s robotaxis available on Uber’s ride-hailing network in Austin and Atlanta, according to the Financial Times. Waymo has already told Uber that it intends to offer robotaxis on its own app in those two markets starting in January 2028, alongside the existing Uber offering, Uber told TechCrunch Friday. Uber said its contract with Waymo covering Austin and Atlanta ends in May 2028. The two companies already split in Phoenix earlier this year. Waymo didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The move follows months of rising tensions between the two companies. Earlier this year, Uber Chief Technology Officer Praveen Neppalli posted a video of what he described as unsafe and “scary” behavior by a Waymo robotaxi. In May, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi lightly criticized the behavior of Waymo’s robotaxis in school zones and emergency situations during an earnings call, though without naming the company directly. Waymo, meanwhile, has increasingly found itself on the opposite side of Uber in a number of fresh policy fights over robotaxi regulations.

Why it matters

A full split could let Waymo capture ride revenue directly instead of sharing it through Uber’s network, suggesting robotaxi operators may increasingly favor standalone apps over ride-hailing partnerships as their primary long-term distribution channel.