Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving technology companyAnnounce, will establish a new partnership with the US food delivery platform DoorDash. In the future, within a specific service area in Phoenix, Arizona, consumers will have the opportunity to choose to use Waymo's fully autonomous vehicles to receive food delivery orders.
This collaboration not only marks Waymo's renewed effort to expand its "cargo" business model beyond its core "passenger" self-driving taxi (Robotaxi) service "Waymo One," but also means that its self-driving fleet deployed in Phoenix can be more effectively utilized during idle time when not carrying human passengers to explore new revenue possibilities.
Phoenix, your next delivery just took a step into the future! We're partnering with @DoorDash to bring the safety and convenience of the Waymo Driver to grocery runs and meal orders. More at https://t.co/qDKGER0wsR pic.twitter.com/y7nIo6pnNB
- Waymo (@Waymo) October 16, 2025
Initially targeting DashMart groceries, expanding to more local merchants in the future
According to Waymo, the partnership with DoorDash will be limited in its initial phase. Delivery will only be available for items ordered through DashMart, DoorDash's own stores that primarily offer convenience store items and fresh groceries.
However, both parties emphasized that this is only the first step in their collaboration. Waymo stated that future plans will gradually expand its service scope to "more local Phoenix partner merchants and provide a more diverse range of product options."
From an operational perspective, starting the test with DashMart, where products are relatively standardized and processes are controllable, will help Waymo and DoorDash prioritize streamlining system integration and delivery processes. Once the technology and operational model mature, expanding the service to local restaurants or retailers with more complex product offerings and varying preparation times is a relatively prudent approach.
User experience trade-offs: requiring active selection and in-person pickup
However, if consumers want to experience this high-tech self-driving delivery, they seem to have to make some "convenience" trade-offs in their user experience.
First, the service isn't a default option. Customers must "actively opt in to self-driving deliveries" during checkout within the DoorDash app.
More importantly, when Waymo's self-driving vehicles (such as its familiar Chrysler Pacifica or Jaguar I-PACE models) arrive at the designated address, they cannot be driven by the driver like DoorDash has tested in the past.Dot RobotOr a regular delivery person can deliver the goods “to your doorstep.”
Instead, consumers will receive a notification and must physically leave their homes, walk to a Waymo vehicle, and then retrieve their order from the vehicle's trunk to complete the delivery process. For many users who rely on the convenience of DoorDash's core value—home delivery—this model of requiring them to physically walk downstairs to pick up their order undoubtedly diminishes its appeal. Whether this model is widely accepted will remain a key focus.
From Uber Eats to DoorDash: Waymo's platform integration strategy
Of course, this is not Waymo's first foray into food delivery in Phoenix. Prior to this, Waymo had already reached a deal with Uber Eats, DoorDash's main competitor, in 2024.Similar collaboration projects.
The cooperation model at that time was very similar to the current cooperation with DoorDash. There were also restrictions on the delivery range and the requirement that consumers must pick up the food in person at the car.
Waymo already operates its core "Waymo One" business in Arizona, allowing consumers to hail rides through its own app. However, just as Waymo integrates its services with third-party platforms like Uber to offer ride-hailing options, its partnerships with Uber Eats and DoorDash clearly emulate the same strategic thinking: integrating Waymo Driver's autonomous driving technology into existing mainstream delivery platforms as a B2B solution, thereby expanding the technology's reach and testing scale.
After abandoning long-distance freight, it focused on "small logistics" in urban areas.
Looking back at Waymo's logistics layout, back in 2020, the company was once actively exploring the use of autonomous driving technology for "long-distance heavy truck" transportation (the Waymo Via project), with the goal of subverting the huge road freight market.
However, Waymo resolutely announced in 2023 that it had "abandoned" the long-distance trucking project and decided to "prioritize" all resources on its core self-driving taxis (Robotaxi) and the Waymo Driver software itself.
At the time, most people interpreted Waymo's focus on passenger-carrying services. However, its testing partnerships with Uber Eats and DoorDash now seem to send a clear signal: While Waymo has abandoned long-haul trucks, it is clearly interested in leveraging its existing passenger fleet for small-scale last-mile logistics within metropolitan areas. This may be a significant attempt by Waymo to increase the utilization of its expensive fleet and find a secondary revenue stream beyond self-driving taxis.
