Robotaxi rules row drives Waymo-Uber rift ahead of London launch
A row over how robotaxis should be regulated has become one of the main reasons relations between Waymo and Uber have deteriorated, sources familiar with the matter told City PM, as the companies prepare to launch rival autonomous taxi services in London.
At the heart of the ride-hailers’ dispute is whether new rules should favour hybrid ride-hailing networks, where robotaxis and human drivers operate side by side, or allow autonomous vehicle companies to run their own services.
Uber has argued the former give passengers more choice and therefore makes services more practical.
Waymo, on the other hand, wants operators to be free to choose how they bring autonomous taxi services to market.
The disagreement has cast doubt over one of the autonomous vehicle industry’s highest-profile partnerships. Uber currently operates Waymo’s driverless taxi service in the US cities of Austin and Atlanta, giving passengers access to Waymo vehicles through the Uber app.
It comes after the Financial Times reported on Sunday that Alphabet-owned Waymo has discussed ending the partnership as the relationship between the companies has soured.
Uber confirmed to that Alphabet-backed Waymo plans to launch its own app in Austin and Atlanta from January 2028, ending Uber’s exclusivity in the two cities. Waymo vehicles will remain available on Uber until at least May 2028, when the companies’ current agreement expires.
A Waymo spokesperson told City PM: “We believe in a vibrant and collaborative AV ecosystem that champions innovation and provides riders with a choice in how they experience this technology.”
“This is essential to the industry’s future and to our vision of making the Waymo app and the safety of our technology available to riders everywhere.”
Uber said it remained committed to working with multiple autonomous vehicle partners and expected to expand its driverless offering with companies including Zoox, Nuro and Avride.
DC bill at centre of dispute
The dispute centres on proposed legislation in Washington DC, where Uber has argued the draft bill could make it harder for robotaxis to operate alongside human drivers on the same ride-hailing platform.
The market leader says hybrid networks give passengers more choice and ensure journeys that autonomous vehicles cannot complete can still be served. But at a committee hearing earlier this month, the politician behind the bill rejected that interpretation.
“I want to be very clear about the legislative intent here,” committee chair Charles Allen said. “It is certainly not the intent of this bill, nor my reading of the draft, to ban or restrict hybrid networks.”
Allen added lawmakers were “completely open” to changing the wording if it removed any ambiguity.
The disagreement comes as both companies look to bring driverless taxis to the UK.
Waymo has been testing autonomous vehicles on London’s streets and plans to launch a commercial service once the UK’s new automated vehicle regime comes into force.
Uber is separately working with British self-driving technology company Wayve, which is also trialling autonomous vehicles in the capital, as it prepares to roll out its own driverless ride-hailing service.