Waymo's ride-hailing partnership with Uber may be heading for a shake-up. According to TechCrunch, the self-driving car company is reportedly considering a breakup with Uber, and the contract between the two companies ends in May 2028 — a date Uber confirmed to TechCrunch.
The first cracks are already scheduled. According to CNBC, Uber and Waymo will end their exclusivity arrangement in two cities: Atlanta and Austin, Texas. Starting in 2028, Waymo's driverless rides in those markets will be available on platforms other than Uber.
That's a meaningful change from how the relationship has worked so far. Exclusivity meant riders in certain cities could hail a Waymo robotaxi only through the Uber app. Loosening that arrangement opens the door for Waymo to distribute its rides more widely — potentially through its own app or other services — rather than routing them exclusively through a single partner.
Neither source describes a finalized, clean split across all markets. TechCrunch frames the wider breakup as something Waymo is "mulling," while CNBC reports the concrete, confirmed step limited to Atlanta and Austin beginning in 2028. The end of the overall contract in May 2028 gives both companies a natural point to renegotiate or go their separate ways.
Why it matters: how Waymo reaches riders — through Uber's massive user base or on its own terms — will shape who controls the customer relationship, and the money, as driverless taxis move from novelty to mainstream transportation.