Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is enthusiastic about the company’s pilot with Waymo. In Q1 prepared remarks, he said the launch in Austin has “exceeded our expectations,” noting that the 100 self-driving vehicles there were busier than 99% of the city’s human drivers. The strong performance has Uber looking ahead to its next Waymo rollout in Atlanta.
But Waymo isn’t Uber’s only autonomous partner. Just hours before Khosrowshahi’s comments were released, Uber announced an expanded deal with WeRide, a global rival to Waymo. WeRide’s robotaxis will soon launch in 15 new cities outside the U.S. and China.
While Waymo may be Uber’s marquee U.S. partner, the rideshare giant is making it clear it won’t rely on just one self-driving tech provider.
Uber’s expanding self-driving deals
In the United States, Waymo remains the dominant force in robotaxis, especially since Cruise has shuttered. Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are already operating in Austin and are set to launch in Atlanta. “Waymo’s safety record and rider experience coupled with Uber’s scale and reliability in the market have ensured that these vehicles are extremely busy,” CEO Dara Khosrowshahi noted in his Q1 remarks.
But the Uber-Waymo relationship hasn’t been without friction. When Waymo announced a Miami expansion without Uber in December, Uber’s stock took a hit. In response, the company unveiled new American partnerships, first with Volkswagen in April and then with May Mobility in June. (Uber declined to comment for this story.)
Meanwhile, Uber’s international self-driving investments are accelerating. Just ahead of Khosrowshahi’s remarks, the company announced an expanded partnership with WeRide, the Chinese robotaxi firm already operating with Uber in Abu Dhabi. The new agreement covers 15 additional cities—intentionally outside both the U.S. and China—and includes a $100 million investment.
The same week, Uber announced an expanded deal with Pony.ai, another Chinese autonomous vehicle company. While the agreement excludes operations in China and the U.S., it significantly broadens their collaboration across the Middle East. Just days earlier, Uber also announced a new partnership with Momenta for deployment across Europe.
