Waymo and Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER.US) two-city Robotaxi exclusive partnership will end in 2028.

Alphabet (GOOGL.US)-owned autonomous driving company Waymo plans to end its exclusive Robotaxi partnership with Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER.US) in Austin and Atlanta in January 2028, at which point customers will be able to book autonomous rides through Waymo's app. Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana disclosed the decision in an interview. Mawakana said the decision stemmed from customer feedback. Customers want a more consistent experience when booking autonomous rides. Currently, customers in Austin and Atlanta can only book Waymo vehicles through the Uber Technologies, Inc. platform, but a match is not guaranteed because availability depends on whether a vehicle is nearby. "We partnered early on because we didn't have scale; in that kind of partnership, the experience is a bit of a gamble," Mawakana said. A Uber Technologies, Inc. spokesperson said the company had asked Waymo to introduce a dedicated Robotaxi option for Austin and Atlanta customers in its app, but Waymo rejected the request. Waymo currently operates about 4,000 vehicles in the United States, providing more than 500,000 trips per week across 14 cities. As its business expands, the company is also investing heavily in fleet expansion and technology development, while facing challenges in areas such as profitability, ride costs and safety.