Waymo moves to end Uber exclusivity in Austin and Atlanta — and go direct

Waymo has notified Uber it will launch service through its own app in Austin and Atlanta in January 2028, ending the exclusive arrangement under which Uber has dispatched Waymo robotaxis (and handled logistics and maintenance) in those two cities since 2024. Hundreds of Waymo vehicles will remain on the Uber platform through at least May 2028, the term of the existing contract, so this is an unwinding rather than an abrupt break. The FT reports the discussions grew out of tensions between the companies — including conflicting policy proposals they're pushing in different markets — and it follows the wind-down of their more limited Phoenix partnership last month.

Why it matters

This is Waymo deciding it no longer needs a demand aggregator between it and riders. The Uber deal solved cold-start — a booking funnel and fleet ops while Waymo scaled — but owning the customer relationship is worth more once the service is dense enough to fill cars on its own, and Waymo evidently thinks Austin and Atlanta are there. It's the mirror image of Mobileye's pivot to operating its own fleet: everyone in autonomy is converging on direct-to-consumer, because the platform layer is where the margin and the data live. For Uber, losing exclusive access to the leading robotaxi fleet in growth markets is a strategic dent amid its own Waymo-Phoenix arrangement unwinding — even as the cars stay on its app for now.

What to watch

Whether Waymo's own-app launch holds to January 2028, what happens to the fleet on Uber after May 2028, and whether Uber accelerates deals with other AV operators to backfill.