Uber and Zoox CEOs Talk Robotaxi Partnership

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary
Podcast: Bloomberg Talks
Episode: Uber and Zoox CEOs Talk Robotaxi Partnership
Date: March 11, 2026
Host: Ed Ludlow, Bloomberg Tech
Guests: Dara Khosrowshahi (CEO of Uber), Aicha Evans (CEO of Zoox)

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers an in-depth discussion about the newly announced partnership between Uber and Amazon’s Zoox to deploy purpose-built robotaxis in Las Vegas (and Los Angeles the following year). Host Ed Ludlow brings together Dara Khosrowshahi of Uber and Aicha Evans of Zoox to explore the motivations, logistics, and strategic implications of integrating Zoox’s autonomous vehicles into Uber’s ride-hailing marketplace, with a focus on scalability, user experience, data sharing, and the road ahead for autonomous mobility.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Zoox's Approach & the Decision to Partner with Uber

• Zoox is known for being vertically integrated—controlling the tech stack, vehicle, app, and service.
• Aicha Evans emphasizes that this approach hasn't changed but stresses the need to be practical for commercial deployment, hence the collaboration with Uber.
  • "We'd be practical about our commercial deployment. This is a big market... We're really looking forward to bringing our experience and this way to ride to the Uber platform." (01:17)

2. Value Proposition of the Partnership

• Uber’s Role: Uber provides massive global distribution and access to diverse customer bases, analogous to how it partners with major brands on Uber Eats.
  • "We bring enormous distribution on a global basis... You have some of the best brands in the world... having a direct interaction with customers through their own apps, but also using the platform to expand their distribution..." (01:56, Dara Khosrowshahi)
• The partnership is not exclusive: customers may get matched with a Zoox vehicle algorithmically within Uber, not as a selectable option at first.

3. Deployment Mechanics in Las Vegas and Los Angeles

• The rollout will be small-scale initially, with possible ride assignments to Zoox vehicles determined by Uber’s matching algorithm.
• The intent is to accelerate Zoox’s exposure to the market by leveraging Uber's established user base.
  • "You have all kinds of people who show up in Las Vegas. Some might know about Zoox, some might not, and the ones who don't probably know about Uber. So why not take advantage of that?" (03:12, Aicha Evans)

4. Business Model & Revenue Sharing

• Details of revenue split are not the immediate focus; enhancing the customer experience takes precedence.
  • "For us now the focus is going to be the customer experience... the economics take care of themselves over the long term." (03:41, Dara Khosrowshahi)

5. Data Sharing and Operational Knowledge

• Uber will share traffic pattern data with Zoox, giving Zoox direct access to data that supports efficient, large-scale operations.
  • "We are certainly going to work with Zoox in terms of traffic patterns... the combination... is going to help Zoox be even more efficient." (04:17, Dara Khosrowshahi)
• Zoox benefits by learning from Uber’s experience with large event logistics and quick deployment.
  • "The experience of dealing with things or just starting to deal with large events, things that Uber knows how to do in their sleep, will essentially speed up our knowledge..." (04:41, Aicha Evans)

6. Cautious Rollout and Scaling

• Zoox’s approach remains cautious: small-scale, learn, then scale.
  • "Our approach will always be cautious and, and small and scale from there. What's changed is that we're deploying in Vegas. We know the market very well..." (05:20, Aicha Evans)
• Uber’s capital-light, open-platform approach is reinforced by this partnership.

7. Autonomous Vehicles and the Future of Ride-Hailing

• Uber views autonomy as the inevitable future, supplementing both human and robot drivers.
  • "We think autonomous represents the future of transportation, right? It's safer ultimately than human beings... So this is just another step in our direction of an open platform." (06:10, Dara Khosrowshahi)
• Zoox’s vehicle is positioned as providing a unique, purpose-built, spacious, and efficient experience.

8. Market Feedback and Investor Response

• The market reacted positively to the news, with Uber’s share price up.
• Discussion of positive investor sentiment around Uber’s model of partnering with top players in tech and automotive.

9. Experience in Las Vegas Market

• Dara shares firsthand impressions of Zoox's robotaxi: spacious, efficient, and perfect for social groups visiting Las Vegas.
  • "When you're inside, it feels so big and so generous in terms of the space. But then actually the vehicle itself is quite efficient. So for me it was very interesting." (06:47, Dara Khosrowshahi)

10. Support from Amazon and Financial Backing for Zoox

• Zoox is confident in Amazon’s backing and is focused on execution rather than capital concerns.
  • "Amazon has been great. We're super happy to have them as a parent, capital is not something I worry about. I worry about executing, delivering." (07:52, Aicha Evans)

11. Uber as an Open Platform and Potential for Future Partnerships

• Uber is open to working with all AV providers, including holding discussions with Tesla, but emphasizes today's focus on Zoox.
  • "We talk with all the various AV providers... But today is about Zoox and we're here to celebrate that." (08:38, Dara Khosrowshahi)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Aicha Evans (Zoox):

  • "We'd be practical about our commercial deployment. This is a big market..." (01:17)
  • "Some might know about Zoox, some might not, and the ones who don't probably know about Uber." (03:12)
  • "Amazon has been great. We're super happy to have them as a parent, capital is not something I worry about. I worry about executing, delivering." (07:52)

• Dara Khosrowshahi (Uber):

  • "We bring enormous distribution on a global basis..." (01:56)
  • "We think autonomous represents the future of transportation..." (06:10)
  • "When you're inside, it feels so big and so generous in terms of the space. But then actually the vehicle itself is quite efficient." (06:47)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:47 – Ed Ludlow introduces the robotaxi partnership and guests.
• 01:17 – Aicha Evans details Zoox’s approach to partnership.
• 01:56 – Dara Khosrowshahi on Uber's role and value.
• 03:12 – Aicha Evans explains the logic behind the platform model.
• 03:41 – Discussion of business model priorities.
• 04:17 – Data sharing between Uber and Zoox.
• 05:20 – Cautious rollout and lessons from Las Vegas.
• 06:10 – Uber's strategic vision for autonomy.
• 06:47 – Dara describes his personal experience in the Zoox robotaxi.
• 07:52 – Aicha Evans affirms Amazon’s capital support.
• 08:38 – Uber’s openness to future collaborations, including with Tesla.

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Overall Tone & Flow

The episode is candid, forward-looking, and pragmatic, with both CEOs expressing enthusiasm for collaboration, openness to evolving the business, and a shared focus on safety, innovation, and delivering superior customer experience. Both emphasize long-term vision over short-term commercial details, highlighting adaptability and partnership as keys to unlocking the future of urban mobility.

Transcript

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[Barry Ritholtz]

Bloomberg Audio Studios podcasts radio news Uber will let customers hail Robotaxis from Amazon's Zoox starting in Las Vegas this summer. For more on the partnership, Bloomberg Tech's Ed Ludlow is joined by the CEOs of both companies. Ed?

[Ed Ludlow]

Yeah, thank you, Matt. We're talking about the Zoox purpose built Robotaxi, no driver controls, no steering wheel, no pedals, inward facing seats, starting in Vegas this summer, Los Angeles next year. And we're delighted to have Uber SEO, Dark Asahi and Aisha Evans of Zoox with us. And actually I've been fortunate spend a lot of time with you in the last year. And you've always described Zoox as vertically integrated. Control the stack, own the vehicle, own the app, own the service. You're going with a partner. What's changed?

[Aicha Evans]

That hasn't changed. We're doing that. And I've also told you that we'd be practical about our commercial deployment. This is a big market and so talk to Dara and in Las Vegas and L. A, we're really looking forward to bringing our experience and sort of this, this way to ride to the Uber platform in addition to also being

[Ed Ludlow]

available the way to rise. Interesting. You know, Uber is not a ride. It is a platform, a marketplace for increasingly different kinds of rides. What is it that you think you can Zoox do that I guess they wouldn't otherwise be able to do on their own?

[Dara Khosrowshahi]

Well, we bring enormous distribution on a global basis. And I think that there's this narrative of it's either or, you know, either you go direct to your customer or you go through a platform. And the fact is if you look for example on Uber Eats, you have some of the best brands in the world, whether it's a McDonald's or a Starbucks or Chipotle, having a direct interaction with customers through their own apps, but also using the platform to expand their distribution. And, and I see the same thing with Zoox as well. You know, Zoox is on his way to create one of the best brands in the business and transportation experience recently.

[Ed Ludlow]

Right.

[Dara Khosrowshahi]

It's a great experience, it's a purpose built vehicle. And to have that experience on Uber, we think will only magnify what Zoox is bringing to the marketplace.

[Ed Ludlow]

This is small scale in the first instance, right? You know, Las Vegas and that where you're already active and then, and then L A. The mechanics of it are interesting, right? Because as a rider you are not guaranteed in the first instance that you can choose as it's algorithmic, it depends on the circumstances for you to have. I think the language uses the opportunity to be matched with the Zoox. I guess supply in the, in the first instance is why you've pursued that, that plan at first, yeah, but really,

[Aicha Evans]

no, because look, it's a platform, it's a global platform, it's available. You have all kinds of people who show up in Las Vegas. Some might know about Zoox, some might not, and the ones who don't probably know about Uber. So why not take advantage of that? That's really all it is.

[Ed Ludlow]

This is early, but would you just explain, I guess longer term what the business plan is? Is there a per ride revenue share agreement? How do you split the fare when you're able to charge a Faradaya?

[Dara Khosrowshahi]

I think for us now the focus is going to be the customer experience. We want to make sure that whether obviously the zoo's direct experience is going to be best of breeding, but also having the experience through Uber is going to introduce you to the differentiated experience on Zoox as well. That's really going to, that's really going to be what Aisha and I are focused on. You know, I would say the economics take care of themselves over the long term.

[Ed Ludlow]

Data is going to be critically important here. So let's start, I guess, with what data sets can Uber provide Zoox that help them with scale and data sharing that you've got in place?

[Dara Khosrowshahi]

Well, we are certainly going to work with Zoox in terms of traffic patterns and now Zoox is going to have access to that data directly as well. But I think the combination of the traffic patterns that we see and the customers that we see, whether local or international, along with Zoox's proprietary data, I think is going to help Zoox be even more efficient as an entity going forward.

[Aicha Evans]

Yeah, and I'll add to that also the experience of dealing with things or just starting to deal with large events, things that Uber knows how to do in their sleep and will essentially speed up our knowledge of doing that and

[Ed Ludlow]

also speed up deployment. You know, you've always been very careful and cautious. I think is the wording that you've used. But is there now a sort of a different approach that working with Uber gives you to get the Zoox purpose built vehicle? We can bring it up on the screen again. You know, it's a unique form factor in this country and of course there was a big nitzer news yesterday. But what's again same question. What's changed in your ability to do that?

[Aicha Evans]

So I think the last time you asked me the question I said look, first we want to be ready. Our approach will always be cautious and, and small and scale from there. What's changed is that we're deploying in Vegas. We know the market very well, we understand the patterns and we think that partnering with, with, with their Uber and the team at Uber Uber will really help us not just bring the differentiated, differentiated customer experience, but speed up how you deploy, how you operate on a daily basis. And we're looking forward to that.

[Ed Ludlow]

Sorry, Uber shares are up 2% but when the news hit, you know, in pre market there was a really positive reception to this. What do you, what do you make of that? You know, it's consistent with what you've already done. Capital Light model partner with, with both automakers, the technology stack and software names.

[Dara Khosrowshahi]

Well, we think autonomous represents the future of transportation, right? It's it' safer ultimately than human beings. We think it will make transportation available to more people. So this is just another step in our direction of an open platform for both human drivers and robot drivers who are safe, who are best of breed. And I think Zoox represents one of the top brands and top technologies and top experiences in the industry. And we're very proud to partner up with Zoox and we're really looking forward to growing together.

[Ed Ludlow]

Dar, what did you learn from your, your ride in Las Vegas as a market?

[Dara Khosrowshahi]

You know, I think that obviously the Zoox experience is I think going to play in any market but Las Vegas especially, it's a social place to go. People go to Las vegas in groups, etc. And one of the, the what was clear to me with Zoox is a differentiated experience in terms of the setup. It is a purpose built vehicle. It feels, when you're inside, it feels so big and so generous in terms of the space. But then actually the vehicle itself is quite efficient. So for me it was very interesting. I think Zoox is unique in building out this kind of vertical stack purpose built vehicle. And for me the quality of the ride was absolutely on display for me.

[Ed Ludlow]

So you are a member of Amazon's leadership team Otherwise known as the S Team. You're actually ranked number one in alphabetical order. I checked. A lot of questions I get for you is, is the, is the capital plan, you know, if you can get some more money from Amazon to accelerate your progress? Amazon's been active in the bond market this week. What can you tell us about your access to capital?

[Aicha Evans]

Amazon has been great. We're super happy to have them as a parent, capital is not something I worry about. I worry about executing, delivering. Now that we're entering this commercial phase, this promise of a safer, keener, more enjoyable future on the road with our purpose built vehicle that really gives you this delightful experience is really what we're focused on. I don't worry about capital at all. I worry about delivering Uber.

[Ed Ludlow]

Dara is becoming kind of like the neutral marketplace for all kinds of providers, not just in the US but globally. Have to ask therefore, have you held any talks with Tesla about convincing them to take their plan, which is a proprietary ride hailing service, but also purpose built vehicle, to the Uber app?

[Dara Khosrowshahi]

We talk with all the various AV providers. Tesla obviously isn't at the point now of getting to no vehicle operator, but they are testing and their technology is excellent. So we're happy to have discussions with them as well as other players. But today is about Zoox and we're here to celebrate that.

[Ed Ludlow]

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi Zoo CEO Here with us in the Bloomberg Tech Studio

[Barry Ritholtz]

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