Waymo and Uber end their Phoenix robotaxi partnership after nearly three years

Waymo's robotaxis are no longer available on Uber in Phoenix, ending a nearly three-year arrangement. Waymo says the split happened in May; the vehicles have been folded back into its own Phoenix fleet (with Via transit trips and DoorDash deliveries). Uber says it is readying a different, unnamed AV partner for Phoenix. The two still cooperate in Austin and Atlanta.

Why it matters

Phoenix was the only city where Waymo ran both its own app and Uber's — and the strongest operator chose full control of the customer. That is the demand-aggregator question in miniature: as robotaxi supply matures, do AV companies still need ride-hail distribution? Waymo's answer where it is strongest is no, which sharpens Uber's need to lock in other suppliers (WeRide in Zurich among them) and to backfill Phoenix.

What to watch

Who Uber's new Phoenix AV partner is, and whether the Austin/Atlanta arrangements survive their next renewals.