Waymo will end its exclusivity arrangement with Uber in the Austin and Atlanta markets beginning in January 2028, the robotaxi company's co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana told Bloomberg News in a report published Wednesday. Under the change, Waymo will provide rides directly through its own smartphone app, as it already does in other cities. The shift affects riders in those two US markets who currently hail Waymo vehicles through Uber.
Uber confirmed to TechCrunch on Wednesday that it still intends to host Waymo robotaxis on its app for as long as both companies agree to the arrangement. Waymo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mawakana's remarks follow earlier reporting this year by the Financial Times that Waymo was seeking to exit its deal with Uber, which was set to expire in May 2028.
According to Bloomberg, Mawakana said Waymo first partnered with Uber because the ride-hail giant offered scale. She said the rider experience had been somewhat unpredictable, particularly because customers could not be certain whether they would get a robotaxi or a human-driven car. She said maintaining a direct relationship with riders matters to Waymo and that the company had heard as much from riders in those markets.
Uber, which works with many robotaxi and other autonomous vehicle partners, told Bloomberg that the decision not to add an option in its app to book a robotaxi directly was Waymo's. The report was subsequently updated with new information from Uber and to correct that Mawakana's comments concerned the exclusivity arrangement.
The Austin and Atlanta markets are the focus of the change, with Waymo planning to serve riders there through its own app starting in January 2028. Uber's stated willingness to keep Waymo vehicles available on its platform for as long as both sides agree leaves open the possibility the companies continue working together after the exclusivity ends. The Financial Times reporting had placed the original deal's expiration in May 2028.
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