Waymo and Uber Divorce in Phoenix. Are Austin and Atlanta Next?

<p>This week on <a href="https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-markets/">Autonomy Markets</a>, <a href="https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/grayson-brulte/">Grayson Brulte</a> and Walter Piecyk discuss the end of <a href="https://indices.roadtoautonomy.com/robotaxi/waymo/">Waymo</a> and Uber&#39;s partnership in Phoenix, Tesla&#39;s Cybercab hitting the streets of Austin branded for America 250 and Waymo&#39;s &quot;Because they&#39;re everything&quot; World Cup campaign.</p><p>As Tesla gets closer and closer to putting the Cybercab into service, the U.S. Government is inching toward a national framework that would allow vehicles with no steering wheel and no pedals to deploy across all 50 states and charge for rides.</p><p>It is the regulatory environment that we believe <a href="https://indices.roadtoautonomy.com/robotaxi/tesla/">Tesla</a> is waiting to change before deploying Cybercab into the fleet, even if the rides are free. As Tesla waits for regulatory certainty, The Road to Autonomy broke the news that Waymo and Uber quietly ended their Phoenix partnership, noticing an update on the Uber autonomous vehicle site.</p><p>The Phoenix partnership, which lasted 948 days, consisted of a fleet of 12 vehicles that serviced a 180 square mile area. Important to note that this was a dedicated fleet for Uber and the vehicles were not part of the traditional Waymo fleet.</p><p>Now that Waymo and Uber have divorced in Phoenix, we believe it is only a matter of time until they divorce in Austin, where the service has been live for 482 days, and Atlanta, where the service has been live for 370 days. Both partnerships could unwind by the first quarter of 2027.</p><p>On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss the global growth of FSD and Volkswagen and Bosch ending their automated driving partnership, the latest in a long line of stalled autonomy efforts at the German automaker.</p><p><br></p><p>Episode Chapters</p><p>00:00 Happy 250th Birthday, America </p><p>1:15 Waymo and Uber Phoenix Divorce </p><p>5:47 Dara, Nuro and Wayve Signals </p><p>8:24 Who Could Backfill Phoenix for Uber?</p><p>13:52 The Fizzling Demand Narrative </p><p>17:51 Cybercab, Branded for America 250 </p><p>21:53 Regulatory, Not Safety, Is Holding Cybercab Back </p><p>24:50 Tesla Semi</p><p>25:54 Waymo&#39;s World Cup Because They&#39;re Everything Campaign </p><p>28:06 Robotaxis at Airports</p><p>29:32 Chinese Made Vehicles </p><p>31:11 Foreign Autonomy Desk </p><p>34:15 Next Week</p><p><br></p><p>The Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy™ powered AUTNMY AI. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.</p><p>Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: <a href="https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><br></p><p>LightShed Partners is a leading independent research firm focused on the convergence of technology, media, and telecommunications. Known for its forward-thinking insights, LightShed Partners provides in-depth analysis on trends, disruptions, and innovations shaping these industries, offering clients data-driven research to inform investment decisions. </p><p>⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for research here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The LightShed Podcast, released every Friday, delivers cutting-edge insights into the world of technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT), focusing on key trends and disruptions shaping the future of these industries. Each episode explores topics like streaming services, social media, digital transformation, and the future of entertainment technology. </p><p>Closely followed by key decision-makers in the TMT industries, this podcast provides actionable analy