Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi addressed speculation about the health of his company’s partnership with Waymo during an earnings call, characterizing the relationship as robust and ongoing. The two companies discontinued their collaboration in Phoenix earlier in the year, but Khosrowshahi indicated they plan to maintain operations together in Atlanta and Austin into the following year.
The executive’s reassurance comes amid various public signals that suggested potential tensions between the firms. Uber’s Chief Technology Officer had commented on what he described as a concerning moment involving Waymo, and the company released a research paper advocating for a hybrid model combining human drivers and autonomous vehicles rather than a fully autonomous approach. Additionally, the companies took opposing positions on recent federal legislation in Washington, DC designed to legalize robotaxi services, with Waymo supporting the measure and Uber favoring a more limited hybrid framework.
Khosrowshahi emphasized that Uber is deliberately cultivating relationships with multiple autonomous vehicle partners to avoid dependence on any single provider. The company has established collaborations with several firms, including Zoox, Wayve, Avride, Nuro, Motional, and Waabi, and has committed to investing over $10 billion in developing its robotaxi operations over time. Notably, Waymo remains the only partner operating autonomous services at meaningful scale.
Despite maintaining the partnership, Khosrowshahi downplayed the immediate significance of robotaxi services to Uber’s overall business, noting they represent less than 0.5 percent of total trip volume. He indicated that autonomous vehicle technology is advancing more gradually than other artificial intelligence applications and suggested there remains opportunity for competitors to challenge Waymo’s current market position. The executive stated the company has adequate time to strengthen ties with alternative partners and develop competitive autonomous driving capabilities.
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