Waymo and Uber quietly end partnership in Phoenix

Waymo robotaxis are no longer available on Uber's ride-hail app in Phoenix, Arizona, ending a nearly three-year partnership in the city, both companies confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday. Uber said it is preparing to launch a separate autonomous vehicle partnership in the city but did not name the partner. Waymo stated that the vehicles used for this pilot program have already been integrated into its own Phoenix fleet and are available through the Waymo app.

Users began noticing the absence of Waymo vehicles on Uber's network in recent days. However, Waymo's vehicles remain available on Uber in Austin and Atlanta. Uber explained that the decision to end the deployment in Phoenix was due to the contracted end date. Waymo confirmed the partnership effectively ended in May.

The quiet end comes as the Alphabet-owned company is starting to deploy its newest robotaxis — the Zeekr-made van called Ojai — on the road. It also occurs as the Uber-Waymo relationship appears to be deteriorating in some places, with both companies poised to directly compete in London as early as this year.

Both companies praised the collaboration in Phoenix as a successful starting point for their respective robotaxi plans, which have become increasingly ambitious since 2023. Waymo called it a productive pilot that paved the way for future expansions and partnerships globally. After hundreds of thousands of trips with Uber, the vehicles have been reintegrated into Waymo's Phoenix fleet. Uber noted that Phoenix was its first pilot market with Waymo, a limited deployment with just over a dozen vehicles, but it provided valuable lessons that helped scale Austin and Atlanta.

The robotaxi landscape has changed significantly since the partnership began in 2023. Waymo has grown its fleet to about 4,000 vehicles, and Uber has signed deals with dozens of autonomous vehicle partners. The Phoenix partnership was unique as the only city where Waymo operated both directly and via Uber. Waymo is now launching in about 20 new cities this year, already operates in 11 major U.S. metro areas, and offers over 500,000 trips per week.