Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jun 29
Waymo, Uber End 12-Vehicle Phoenix Robotaxi Pilot as Austin and Atlanta Expand
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jun 29

Waymo, Uber End 12-Vehicle Phoenix Robotaxi Pilot as Austin and Atlanta Expand

3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jun 29

Summary

  • Waymo rides disappeared from Uber’s Phoenix app offering after the companies ended a pilot that used just over a dozen vehicles and had wrapped about a month ago.
  • Uber said the Arizona test was intentionally limited and helped it scale a much larger exclusive Waymo rollout in Austin and Atlanta, where hundreds of autonomous vehicles now operate through Uber.
  • The Phoenix vehicles will stay in service with Waymo, shifting to autonomous deliveries via DoorDash rather than passenger trips booked on Uber.
  • The move tests Uber’s claim that robotaxi operators will need its platform, even as Waymo still offers rides mainly through its own app in nine other cities and plans a nonexclusive Lyft launch in Nashville later this year.

Insights

Is the Waymo-Uber alliance fracturing as the robotaxi market heats up?
As Waymo pivots to deliveries, are robotaxis for goods more profitable than rides for people?
With its $10B fleet investment, is Uber's 'asset-light' strategy now a myth?