Waymo Ends Uber Robotaxi Pilot in Phoenix, Vehicles Move to DoorDash
Waymo has folded its Phoenix robotaxi fleet out of the Uber app and back into Waymo One, with some Jaguar I-Pace vehicles shifting to autonomous DoorDash deliveries after a nearly three-year pilot.
Key Takeaways
Waymo has ended its nearly three-year robotaxi pilot with Uber in Phoenix, pulling its Jaguar I-Pace fleet from the Uber app and folding it back into Waymo One.
Some of the Phoenix I-Pace vehicles are being reassigned to autonomous DoorDash deliveries instead of ride-hailing.
The pilot never scaled past just over a dozen vehicles, and both companies said it simply reached its contracted end date.
Uber is negotiating a new Phoenix AV partnership, potentially with Volkswagen's ADMT unit or WeRide, both of which have public launch commitments in the city.
Waymo still serves Uber demand in Austin and Atlanta under exclusive 2025 regional deals, but Phoenix — its original launch market since 2019 — is now Waymo-native only.
Kaan Tınmaz
Waymo has pulled its self-driving Jaguar I-Pace fleet out of the Uber app in Phoenix and reassigned the vehicles to DoorDash deliveries and its own Waymo One service, formally winding down a nearly three-year pilot that opened the market to hailing an autonomous ride through a rideshare interface.
End of the first Uber-hailed Waymo market
Phoenix was Waymo’s original robotaxi launch market and the first US city where riders could get an AV through Uber. The pilot never scaled past just over a dozen vehicles, and both companies said it reached its contracted end date. Waymo is folding the fleet back into its Waymo One service, and, in a twist, some of the vehicles are moving to autonomous DoorDash delivery.
Uber searches for a new Phoenix AV partner
Uber said it is negotiating a new autonomous partnership in Phoenix, potentially with Volkswagen’s ADMT unit or WeRide, both of which have public launch commitments in the city. Waymo continues to serve Uber demand in Austin and Atlanta under exclusive regional distribution deals initiated in 2025 — but Phoenix, which Waymo has run since 2019, is now Waymo-native only.
Robotaxi platform politics
The move sharpens Waymo’s platform positioning at a moment when Tesla is expanding aggressively — Miami just went driverless without a supervisor — and Zoox is pushing toward volume production in Hayward. Alphabet clearly wants riders to book on Waymo’s own app in markets where it has scale, and to use Uber only as a lead-generator elsewhere. It also arrives on the same day as the DOT’s proposed brake-pedal rollback, which strips out the last mechanical-control mandate for driverless vehicles.
Reporting based on coverage from CNBC, Inc., CleanTechnica and The Driverless Digest.
Why did Waymo end its Uber robotaxi pilot in Phoenix?
Both companies said the pilot reached its contracted end date. It never scaled beyond just over a dozen vehicles, and Waymo is consolidating Phoenix rides onto its own Waymo One app, where it has scale.
What happens to the Waymo vehicles that were on Uber in Phoenix?
The Jaguar I-Pace fleet is being folded back into the Waymo One service, and some vehicles are shifting to autonomous DoorDash deliveries.
Can you still hail a Waymo through Uber anywhere?
Yes. Waymo continues to serve Uber demand in Austin and Atlanta under exclusive regional distribution deals initiated in 2025, but Phoenix is now available only through Waymo's own app.
Who might replace Waymo as Uber's autonomous partner in Phoenix?
Uber says it is negotiating a new AV partnership in Phoenix, potentially with Volkswagen's ADMT unit or WeRide, both of which have public launch commitments in the city.
