Waymo and DoorDash Partner on Autonomous Delivery Service in Phoenix

The sprawling city of Phoenix is a vital hub for Waymo's testing, not only from a technical perspective but also for developing its business models. The company, a subsidiary of Google (Alphabet), leverages this leading market to test and scale its services, including autonomous delivery solutions.

The Evolution of Waymo's Autonomous Delivery Efforts

While Waymo is primarily known for its robotaxi services, it has previously explored the potential of deploying its pioneering technologies in the delivery sector. In addition to its pilot partnerships with UPS and Uber Eats, the company invested significant resources in developing self-driving trucks within its Waymo Via program, which was closed in 2023 to fully concentrate on scaling its robotaxis.

Details of the New Partnership Between Waymo and DoorDash

Today, Waymo is returning to testing the delivery market through a strategic multi-year partnership with DoorDash. The company confirmed, in an announcement dated October 16, 2025, that it currently has no other active pilot programs, operations, or partnerships dedicated to delivery services.

This partnership aims to connect DoorDash customers ordering food and grocery delivery services within a 315-square-mile area in Phoenix with Waymo's autonomous vehicles. Both companies stated this in a joint blog post.

The Promising Autonomous Delivery Market and Initial Service Scope

This collaboration comes at a time when the autonomous last-mile delivery market is experiencing rapid growth. According to Allied Market Research, the autonomous last-mile delivery market was valued at USD 18.7 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 144.2 billion by 2033, demonstrating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.1% during the forecast period. This growth underscores the increasing importance of such partnerships in the future logistics sector. (Source)

Not all DoorDash orders will be fulfilled by Waymo immediately. In the initial phase, Waymo's delivery service will focus on orders coming from DashMart, DoorDash's own stores that provide essentials, groceries, and retail products. Both companies stated that the service is planned to expand over time to include additional local merchants in Phoenix and a wider range of products.

DoorDash's Vision and Experience in Autonomous Delivery

David Richter, DoorDash's VP of Business and Corporate Development, stated that this agreement with Waymo will provide customers with an "innovative and enjoyable delivery experience," emphasizing the company's vision towards "a multimodal future powered by advanced AI in local commerce."

It is worth noting that DoorDash has previous experience in the field of autonomous vehicle technology. It has partnered with Serve Robotics to deploy sidewalk delivery robots in parts of Los Angeles. Additionally, DoorDash has an in-house team specializing in autonomous driving technology, which developed and produced its own autonomous delivery robot, known as "Dot". The Dot robot, unveiled in September, is currently undergoing testing in the Phoenix area.

The New Delivery Mechanism and Customer Experience

However, this agreement with Waymo will not include the integration of DoorDash's proprietary Dot vehicle. Instead, food or grocery orders will be placed inside the trunk of a Waymo autonomous vehicle, a Jaguar I-Pace. The car will autonomously deliver to the customer, who will then need to retrieve their purchases directly from the car's trunk using the DoorDash app.

This new mechanism, which requires the customer to go to the vehicle to collect their delivered items, represents a critical test for both companies. This test aims to evaluate whether the experience of retrieving groceries from an autonomous vehicle will surpass the traditional convenience of receiving orders from a human delivery driver at their doorstep.