{"id":5023,"date":"2026-08-05T19:47:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T19:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=5023"},"modified":"2026-08-05T19:47:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T19:47:02","slug":"uber-ceo-earnings-waymo-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=5023","title":{"rendered":"Uber CEO brushes off reports of a Waymo break-up"},"content":{"rendered":"


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After Uber and Waymo ended their partnership in Phoenix earlier this year, experts and robotaxi watchers wondered whether the companies\u2019 improbable bromance was fraying. Not so, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said today. The two companies are committed to continue working together in Atlanta and Austin, and the partnership remains \u201cvery strong.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWaymo is a very important partner of ours, and we continue to operate in Austin and Atlanta,\u201d Khosrowshahi said in an earnings call today<\/a>. \u201cWe believe we\u2019ll continue to operate next year in those marketplaces. It\u2019s a terrific product, and the on-the-ground partnership continues to be very strong.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There\u2019s been plenty of evidence that points to a weaker relationship than Khosrowshahi would like to admit, like Uber\u2019s CTO tweeting<\/a> about a \u201cscary Waymo moment\u201d and an Uber white paper<\/a> that emphasizes a hybrid model of human- and robot-powered rides over an AV-only model. Last month, the two companies found each other on opposite sides of a bill<\/a> in Washington, DC, that would legalize robotaxi services, with Waymo supportive and Uber pushing for a hybrid model.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Khosrowshahi didn\u2019t address any of those incidents, but did note that Waymo isn\u2019t Uber\u2019s only robotaxi partner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe want to make sure that we\u2019re not dependent on one partner,\u201d he said on the call. \u201cWe\u2019re absolutely seeing a plethora of newer players in the AV ecosystem, just like you see in the foundation model space. While we continue to provide a great service with Waymo in Austin and Atlanta, we\u2019ll continue to build our services with our other players as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Indeed, Uber has made a big to-do about linking up with a variety of AV partners<\/a>, including Zoox, Wayve, Avride, Nuro, Motional, and Waabi. Basically, if you\u2019re a startup with some autonomous driving experience and a few vehicles in the field, chances are you\u2019ve received a call from Uber. The company has said it plans on spending upwards of $10 billion to build out its robotaxi business over time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But Waymo is really the only one doing it at scale. And since the company has shown it can work in markets both with and without Uber\u2019s imprimatur, it really seems like Uber needs Waymo more than vice versa.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But while Khosrowshahi doesn\u2019t sound ready to break up with Waymo any time soon, he also wasn\u2019t willing to concede that robot-driven cars would quickly become the norm. In fact, Khosrowshahi\u2019s next move was to downplay the significance of robotaxi rides on the company\u2019s platform, noting that they only account for \u201cless than 0.5 percent of our overall trip volume.\u201d Physical AI \u2014 which is industry lingo for real-world AI like robots and driverless cars \u2014 is moving at a slower pace than large-language models like ChatGPT. And in time, a Waymo competitor may emerge to challenge the Alphabet-owned company\u2019s dominance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe have time to develop the partnerships with our other set of partners to create a competitive playing field with attractive commercials,\u201d Khosrowshahi added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Khosrowshahi\u2019s reticence is understandable. Uber and Waymo may be partners in a couple of markets, but the companies are mostly competitors. And early data suggests that Waymo is taking away market share<\/a> from traditional rideshare players like Uber and Lyft. The two companies may still need each other now, while robotaxis are in their infancy, but the future is more of an open question.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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