1240 ET - The deployment of Waymo and Tesla robotaxis in Austin, Texas doesn't seem to be eating into demand for traditional ride-hailing, KeyBanc analysts say in a note, citing discussions with Uber drivers during a recent visit. "Right now, Uber drivers are not seeing any impact from Waymo or Tesla with respect to ride volume or pricing," the analysts say. "We believe this supports the argument that AVs are currently driving incremental rides and expanding the TAM." They note that both Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, and Tesla have expanded their fleets recently, and that data suggest Waymo makes up more than 20% of Uber rides in service areas. "We believe there has been sufficient fleet growth to suggest drivers would have felt some impact by now if rides were being cannibalized," they say. (elias.schisgall@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 17, 2026 12:40 ET (16:40 GMT)

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