Waymo to end Uber exclusivity in Austin and Atlanta from January 2028

What happened

Waymo plans to stop operating exclusively through Uber in Austin and Atlanta beginning in January 2028, TechCrunch reported. Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana disclosed the timing in an interview with Bloomberg News that ran on Wednesday. The robotaxi company intends to let riders in those two markets book trips directly in its own smartphone app, mirroring how it already operates in other cities.

Uber said on Wednesday that it intends to keep offering Waymo vehicles on its platform for as long as both companies agree to the arrangement. Uber also told Bloomberg that the decision not to add a way for riders to request a robotaxi directly inside the Uber app came from Waymo. Waymo did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

According to Mawakana, Waymo first teamed up with Uber because the ride-hailing company could provide scale. She told Bloomberg the rider experience under the arrangement has been unpredictable, in part because people cannot be certain whether a request will be matched with a robotaxi or a car driven by a person. She said owning the connection with riders matters to Waymo and that riders in both cities had raised the issue.

Context

Waymo's agreement with Uber had been scheduled to run until May 2028, so ending exclusivity in January 2028 would come a few months ahead of that date. Waymo already lets riders book through its own app in other cities, and Uber has built a network of robotaxi and other autonomous vehicle partners on its platform, which means riders in both markets will have more than one way to reach a driverless car.