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Uber claims its network boosts robotaxi trips as Waymo leaves app deal
Waymo will stop offering its robotaxis through Uber in Austin and Atlanta, ending an exclusive partnership because riders who requested a Waymo car through Uber were not guaranteed one. The announcement came hours before Uber argued that its app and operating network can make autonomous taxi fleets more profitable, sharpening the competition over who controls access to robotaxi customers.
Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said vehicles using Uber’s platform make around 30 per cent more trips per day than those on autonomous operators’ own apps, with shared charging and maintenance also helping fleet economics. Uber plans to put about 2,000 robotaxis on the road in 2027, followed by a larger expansion from 2028; in its third quarter, bookings reached $59.8 billion, up 20 per cent year on year. Separately, Australia’s High Court ruled Uber must pay AU$81 million in state payroll taxes, finding driver payments effectively count as wages.
In short
- Waymo is ending its Uber booking partnership in Austin and Atlanta.
- Uber says its platform can improve robotaxi fleet profitability.
- Australia’s High Court ordered Uber to pay AU$81 million in payroll tax.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Uber’s case is that its large customer base, dispatch system and shared charging and maintenance can keep robotaxis busier and reduce operating costs, improving the economics of autonomous fleets. A common booking platform could also make robotaxis easier for more riders to find and use, while letting operators focus on vehicles and technology.
The case against
Waymo’s withdrawal highlights a limitation of relying on a third-party app: a rider may request a robotaxi without being guaranteed one, which can weaken trust in the service. Operators may argue that their own apps give them more control over availability, customer relationships and service quality, and that higher trip counts alone do not establish that platform access makes a fleet more profitable.
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Originally published by The Register as “Uber says it alone can make robotaxis pay, hours after Waymo quit its app”.