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Uber and Waymo just ended their robotaxi partnership in Phoenix after nearly three years. In this episode we break down why the split happened, what it signals about the autonomous vehicle market in 2026, and how the alliance between these two frenemies is changing.

Waymo robotaxis are no longer available on Uber's app in Phoenix, and Uber says it is preparing to launch a separate autonomous vehicle partnership in the city but has not named the new partner. Uber called Phoenix an intentionally limited pilot, just over a dozen vehicles. One correction to note if you scripted from the original summary: Waymo has folded those vehicles back into its own Phoenix fleet, where they stay available through the Waymo app, and they will also start running autonomous deliveries for DoorDash, which competes with Uber Eats.

The two companies are not done with each other. Waymo's vehicles are still available on Uber in Austin and Atlanta. Phoenix exposes the real tension: Uber wants to be the app riders use to hail any car, while Waymo wants customers to know they are riding with Waymo.

We cover the stakes. Goldman Sachs Research projects the global robotaxi market could reach roughly $415 billion by 2035, including $48 billion in the U.S. Waymo reportedly hit 500,000 paid rides a week across 10 cities earlier this year, while Uber completed 13.5 billion trips in 2025 across ride-hailing and delivery. We also get into the competitive pressure closing in: Tesla's Arizona ride-hailing permit, Zoox testing toward a Phoenix launch, and Uber's own stable of AV deals with Rivian, Zoox, Pony.AI, and Verne.

The takeaway: this reflects a broader trend of autonomous vehicle companies pulling fleets and customer data onto their own platforms instead of renting reach from an aggregator.

Keywords: Uber Waymo partnership, Waymo Phoenix, Uber robotaxi, autonomous vehicles 2026, self-driving cars, robotaxi market, Waymo vs Uber, Tesla robotaxi Arizona, Zoox Phoenix, driverless rides, AV industry, ride-hailing news