The uneasy alliance between Waymo and Uber looks to be entering its final stretch. According to a Financial Times report cited by CNBC, TechCrunch and Bloomberg, Alphabet’s self-driving unit is exploring options to end its robotaxi partnership with Uber altogether, as the two firms increasingly find themselves competing head-to-head rather than working side by side.
It’s not the first sign of the relationship fraying. The pair already ended their arrangement in Phoenix last month after roughly three years together, and Uber has confirmed that the exclusivity deal covering Austin and Atlanta — the two US cities where Waymo vehicles are currently only bookable through the Uber app — is set to expire in May 2028. Waymo has told Uber it intends to launch its own app in those markets from January 2028, running alongside the existing Uber tie-up rather than replacing it outright.
The tension has been building for a while. Uber’s chief technology officer posted footage earlier this year describing what he called “scary” behaviour from a Waymo vehicle, while Uber’s chief executive lightly criticised the way robotaxis behave around school zones and emergency situations during an earnings call. Waymo, for its part, has found itself on the opposite side of Uber in a string of policy battles over how robotaxis should be regulated. Markets noticed the rift — Uber’s share price dropped nearly 5% on the news, while Alphabet’s stock edged up slightly.
For UK drivers watching the robotaxi space, it’s a reminder that the partnerships underpinning autonomous rollout aren’t as settled as they might look — even as both companies continue separate work on bringing driverless trials to London.
If platform rivalries like this make you think twice about relying on any single app, it might be worth having your own taxi business website — something that’s entirely yours, whatever Uber and its rivals decide to do next.
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