The 'Waymo on Uber' Experience, Feedback From a Power User (Ethan McKanna)

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Terawatt – purpose-built charging for autonomous vehicle fleets.

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. Transcripts are also available by clicking on the “transcripts” button in the top right corner of this post on the app/web version. You can also access them from the email version by clicking here.

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Ethan McKanna, an autonomous vehicle power user, industry observer, and the creator of Robotaxi Tracker. Ethan shares how he first got into AVs and what led him to build Robotaxi Tracker as a way to better understand and track real-world AV deployments.

We also dive into why Austin has quickly become one of the most important cities for autonomous vehicle rollouts, and what the Waymo on Uber experience actually looks like from a rider’s perspective. Ethan walks through what works well today, what’s missing from the product, and how pricing and availability compare to expectations.

We also explore the differences between Waymo’s partnerships with Uber in Austin and Lyft in Nashville, and whether these models are something Waymo is likely to replicate in other markets. The conversation touches on how the product could improve, and what features are still needed.

Finally, we zoom out to discuss Uber’s long-term role as an AV demand aggregator, the balance of power between platforms and autonomy companies, and what’s next for Robotaxi Tracker as the space continues to evolve.

Our Urban Autonomy Summit is heading to Detroit on June 9, and we’re excited to bring it to the Motor City. We’ve already brought together hundreds of operators, policymakers, and mobility leaders at past events in New York and San Francisco, and the conversations have been some of the best we’ve seen anywhere in the AV space. It’s a half-day event with panels, networking, and refreshments/light bites, all focused on what’s actually happening on the ground today with ridehailing, autonomous vehicle deployment, and urban transportation policy, and we’ll have some of the smartest operators and builders in the space joining us.

You can RSVP here and if you want a preview of what it’s like, check out our highlights clip from SF. Hope to see you there!

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Ethan McKanna and how he got into AVs

(04:51) The inspiration behind the creation of Robotaxi Tracker

(05:39) Austin gradually becoming the epicenter of AV deployments

(06:30) The Waymo on Uber user experience/partnership in Austin

(09:39) Missing features in the Waymo on Uber product in Austin

(11:51) The customer advantages of the Waymo on Uber product/partnership in Austin, and pricing insights

(13:57) How the Waymo-Uber partnership compares to the Waymo-Lyft partnership in Nashville

(15:20) Is Waymo likely to repeat their Austin partnership model with Uber in other cities?

(16:05) The Waymo-Lyft partnership model in Nashville

(19:17) Ways to improve the Waymo product in Austin

(22:30) Uber’s future as the AV demand aggregator

(27:22) Who needs who more? Uber vs. Waymo

(29:40) What’s next for Robotaxi Tracker?

(31:30) Conclusion and final thoughts

Designing Charging Hubs for Autonomous Fleets

We are excited to partner with Terawatt, one of the leading providers of charging infrastructure. To learn more about Terawatt’s network of AV charging hubs and track record of 99%+ uptime, reach out to Logan Szidik at lszidik@terawattinfrastructure.com

Notes/Links:

* You can find Ethan on LinkedIn and Twitter/X.

* Check out Robotaxi Tracker (link).

* Ethan’s speech at Ride AI 2026 (link).

-Harry

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thedriverlessdigest.com