UBER CEO Dara Khosrowshahi speaks on CNBC’s Squawk Box at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on January 22, 2026.
Oscar Molina CNBC
For the past 3 years Uber and alphabetWaymo, owned by , has partnered to offer self-driving cars to passengers in two major U.S. markets. That relationship is now changing a bit.
Until now, Waymo has only made its robotaxis available through the Uber app in Atlanta and Austin, Texas. But an Uber spokesperson told CNBC in an email Friday that “We have been informed by Waymo that the company plans to launch the Waymo app in Austin and Atlanta in January 2028, in parallel with our existing deployment with Uber.”
Waymo’s robotaxis are currently being rolled out in nine other markets, and the development reflects how Waymo was able to attract passengers in many U.S. cities without an exclusive deal with Uber, according to the company’s website. More cities are engaging in various stages of testing.
Last year, Waymo also signed deals with: lift Provides robotaxi rides on a non-exclusive basis in Nashville, Tennessee.
Hundreds of Waymo robotaxis will be available on Uber in Atlanta and Austin until at least the end of their existing contracts in May 2028, Uber said. The upcoming changes will allow ride-hailing companies to bring other self-driving vehicles besides Waymo onto their platforms in both cities.
A Waymo spokesperson said in an email that users need “choices about how they experience this technology.”
“This is essential to the future of our industry and our vision to make the safety of the Waymo app and our technology available to riders everywhere,” the spokesperson wrote.
The Financial Times reported Friday that Waymo has held internal discussions about whether to separate from Uber due to tensions between the two companies, including over conflicting policy proposals the two companies are pursuing in different U.S. markets.
Uber stock fell more than 4% on the news.
Independently from Waymo, Uber is investing in AV technology and has committed to purchasing vehicles from select partners, including startups Waabi, Wayve, and Nuro, as well as electric vehicle manufacturers. RivianAfter it has been verified that self-driving cars can operate safely without a human supervisor or driver on board.
Tesla, Amazon’s Zoox and other AV developers also offer standalone apps that allow passengers to hail robotaxis.
–CNBC’s Laura Batchelor contributed to this report.
Spotlight: Waymo and Uber partnership
