Waymo’s robotaxis are officially off the Uber ride-hailing app in Phoenix, Arizona, marking the conclusion of a nearly three-year collaboration in the area, as confirmed by both companies.
Uber has announced plans for a new autonomous vehicle partnership in the city, though it has not disclosed the identity of the new partner. Meanwhile, Waymo indicated that the vehicles previously used in the Uber pilot program have been incorporated into its own fleet operating in Phoenix, accessible via the Waymo app.
Recent days have seen Waymo users noticing the absence of its vehicles on Uber’s platform. However, Waymo remains accessible through Uber in cities like Austin and Atlanta. According to Uber, the decision to terminate the Phoenix deployment was made as part of the agreed end date in their contract.
The quiet conclusion of the Phoenix partnership, which Waymo stated was finalized in May, coincides with the introduction of its latest robotaxis — the Ojai van, produced by Zeekr. The partnership’s end also reflects a growing competition between Uber and Waymo, particularly as both companies prepare to compete in London later this year.
Both firms acknowledged the Phoenix collaboration as a fruitful endeavor that set the stage for ambitious growth in their robotaxi initiatives, which have evolved significantly since 2023.
“This pilot was instrumental in fostering future expansions and global partnerships. Following several hundred thousand trips with Uber, we have reincorporated these vehicles into our Phoenix fleet, continuing to serve riders through Waymo, including our public transit integration with Via and delivery services with DoorDash,” Waymo expressed. “We appreciate all the Uber customers who experienced fully autonomous rides with us and look forward to supporting the Phoenix community going forward.”
“Phoenix served as our initial pilot market with Waymo and was a deliberately limited deployment, utilizing just over a dozen vehicles. We gained valuable insights from this collaboration, enabling us to swiftly expand operations in Austin and Atlanta, where hundreds of Waymo AVs are available solely through Uber, with ongoing coverage area increases,” Uber noted.
The landscape for robotaxis has evolved considerably since the onset of this collaboration in 2023. At that time, a partnership between Uber and Waymo was viewed skeptically in light of their prior legal disputes, which concluded in a settlement in 2018. Robotaxi technology was still in a nascent stage with no operators achieving significant scale. Competition from Cruise appeared viable, prior to its own challenges and subsequent integration into General Motors.
Over the past three years, Waymo has expanded its fleet to approximately 4,000 vehicles, and Uber has entered partnerships with numerous autonomous vehicle companies to enhance its network.
This partnership in Phoenix was indeed unique, as it was the sole city where Waymo provided services directly and through Uber. This year, Waymo aims to launch in around 20 new locations, currently operates in 11 major U.S. metropolitan regions, and facilitates over 500,000 trips weekly.
This story has been updated with details from Uber regarding the conclusion of the contract.
