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What I wrote last week Uber and waymo And how their partnership is deteriorating. I expected the two companies to find themselves on opposite sides of self-driving car policy. It wasn’t a guess.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been talking to sources and saying that Uber DC CongressWe are evaluating proposed legislation that would allow autonomous vehicles to operate in Washington, DC.
Here’s what I discovered: Uber and Waymo are already on opposing sides of the proposal and are arguing publicly behind the scenes. Uber has made a particularly interesting claim in its efforts to establish rules governing self-driving cars.
Uber, which opposes the D.C. bill, argues it would replace hired human drivers and give Waymo a virtual monopoly. Instead, it lobbied for a system that would require robotaxi to operate in ride-sharing networks with human drivers.
Insiders said the “hybrid” approach had little chance of becoming law. But if that were the case, AV developers like Waymo would be left with two workarounds. Deploying robotaxis on ride-hailing apps like Uber, or hiring human drivers alongside a fleet of robotaxis that took years and hundreds of millions of dollars to develop.
The following representatives attended Monday’s DC Council hearing: lift, teslaUber and Waymo are joined by dozens of disability rights and accessibility advocates, local business and industry groups, highway safety organizations, government officials, labor unions and think tanks.
My takeaway, based on public testimony and subsequent phone calls and texts, is that Waymo is generally one of the few companies that likes this bill. Most of the rest of the industry doesn’t.
Chief Policy Advisor at Tesla; India HerdmanIt echoed concerns we’ve heard from several AV developers, including opposition to the 180-day, 250,000-mile mandatory testing requirement. $1 million application fee; $5 million permit fee; The tax per mile is $0.15. Tesla, along with other companies, argued that test miles accumulated in other jurisdictions should be included in the mileage criteria.
Waymo, which has been testing AVs with human safety operators in Washington, D.C., has already exceeded the 180-day and 250,000-mile requirements. This means that if the bill passes as written today, Waymo will enter the market at least six months earlier.
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Uber It is considered a ride-hailing and delivery giant. It is now cementing this position with a $14.8 billion deal to acquire Germany’s Delivery Hero.
It will absolutely take time for a deal to close and overcome regulatory hurdles, if any. Uber will have access to nearly 100 markets across Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. As a result, Uber’s delivery footprint will double.
Delivery Hero also signed a separate agreement to sell its operations in 14 markets where Uber Eats already operates to New York-based investment firm SSW Partners for $1.6 billion.
Other deals that caught my attention…
self-testa San Diego-based startup seeking to disrupt the vehicle inspection process, has raised $10 million in a round led by Sheryl Sandberg’s family office. Tire distributor US AutoForce and auto lender Westlake Financial have made strategic investments. Early-stage funds Costanoa Ventures, Rebellion Ventures and BrightCap Ventures also invested.
Senra, The startup modernizing the way wire harnesses are made has raised $65 million in a Series B round co-led by Lowercarbon and Interlagos with participation from General Catalyst, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund and others.
jeptoThe Indian rapid delivery company is seeking a much lower valuation than its peak of $7 billion in an initial public offering (IPO), Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources.
Notable Reads and Other Useful Information
chip motora Miami-based startup, has unveiled a low-speed compact EV designed for short errands and families, and with some self-driving features.
that Los Angeles Police Department has reportedly terminated its contract with Flock Safety, a surveillance company that helps law enforcement track vehicles using thousands of license plate cameras deployed across the United States.
Lucid Motors The EV manufacturer is strongly pushing back against reports that it is considering whether to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company’s communications team, its CEO, and its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission all say the same thing. The rumor is false. The company’s stock fell more than 50% on Tuesday, its biggest intraday drop, according to initial reports. The stock has since recovered and is currently trading about 28% higher than before the big drop.
lift CEO David Risher “Good Uber,” according to Wired.
Manual or standard transmission vehicles The Washington Post reports that it’s an endangered breed, according to preliminary government data that shows only 0.6% of new cars built for the U.S. in 2025 will have a stick shift. I own two manual vehicles. Does that make me a driving unicorn?
that National Transportation Safety Board The driver of A said. tesla The person who crashed into a house in June ignored the company’s fully self-driving (supervised) software and pressed the gas pedal to 100%.
san francisco market Daniel Lurie Waymo is calling on state regulators to tighten rules for self-driving vehicles after its robotaxi became stuck in traffic on the Fourth of July, ran out of power and blocked a major road, further worsening traffic congestion. In the letter (a portion of which is excerpted here), Lurie outlined four key requirements he would like to see enacted to ensure robotaxi companies “perform reliably” during special events.
SpaceX The second launch attempt of the upgraded Starship rocket system on Thursday came to an abrupt halt just minutes after boosters ignited at the company’s complex in South Texas.
Zoox In June, it announced a software recall after one of its robotaxis became confused by smoke from an emergency fire scene.
One more thing…
Uber Chief Product Officer sachin kansal A conversation with TechCrunch EIC Connie Loizos Find out about playing both sides of travel, AI agents and robotaxi racing in the latest episode of the Strictly VC podcast. If you are curious about the interview, check out the Q&A.
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