Uber is shifting focus towards its own driverless technology instead of relying on external collaborations.
Uber and Waymo have ended their partnership in Phoenix, a key market in the US. Reports indicate that this collaboration, which lasted nearly three years, came to a close in May.
Waymo will continue to operate its autonomous vehicle services in the city via its app. The company has a significant history in Phoenix, using it as a testing ground before launching public rides in 2020. In a statement, Waymo said, “After providing hundreds of thousands of rides with Uber, we are reintegrating these vehicles back into our Phoenix fleet. They will continue to service riders through Waymo, including our public transit service with Via and deliveries with DoorDash.”
The main shift resulting from this separation appears to impact Uber, which has been developing its own autonomous vehicle capabilities. The company has previously partnered with various firms like Avride and WeRide to offer robotaxi services globally. With Uber now producing its own autonomous vehicles through collaborations with Lucid and Neuro, it seems the company may be moving towards an in-house solution rather than relying on external partnerships.
