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Last week, I wrote about uber And waymo And how their partnership seems to be deteriorating. I predicted that the two companies would end up on opposing sides of autonomous vehicle policy. That was not a guess.
Over the past several weeks, I’ve been talking to sources and reviewing correspondence sent by Uber DC Councilwhich is evaluating a proposed bill that would allow autonomous vehicles to operate in Washington, D.C.
What I found: Uber and Waymo are already on opposite sides of the proposal, feuding behind the scenes and publicly. Uber has made a particularly interesting argument in its effort to shape the rules governing autonomous vehicles.
Uber, which opposes the D.C. bill, argues that it would displace for-hire human drivers and hand Waymo a de facto monopoly. Instead, it has lobbied for a system that would require robotaxis to operate alongside human drivers on ride-hailing networks.
Insiders told me the “hybrid” approach has little chance of becoming law. But if that happens, it would leave AV developers like Waymo with two sub-optimal options: either put their robotaxis on ride-hailing apps like Uber or employ human drivers with fleets of robotaxis that took years and hundreds of millions of dollars to develop.
Representatives attended DC Council hearing on Monday lift, TeslaUber, and Waymo, along with dozens of disability rights and accessibility advocates, local business and industry groups, highway safety organizations, government officials, labor unions, and think tanks.
My conclusion — based on public testimony and the calls and texts I received afterward — is that Waymo is one of the few companies that generally foots the bill. Most other industries do not do this.
Senior Policy Advisor at Tesla, india herdmanConcerns I’ve heard from many AV developers include objections to the 180-day, 250,000-mile mandatory testing requirement; $1 million application fee; $5 million permit fee; and a $0.15-per-mile tax. Tesla, along with other companies, argued that test miles collected in other jurisdictions should count toward the mileage limit.
Waymo, which is testing its AVs with human safety operators in Washington, DC, has already passed the 180-day and 250,000-mile requirements. This means that if the bill is passed as written today, Waymo would enter the market with at least a six-month lead.
Deals!
uber Considered a giant ride-hailing and delivery company. Now it is strengthening that position through a $14.8 billion deal to acquire Germany’s delivery hero.
If the deal closes — and regulatory hurdles will certainly take time to clear — Uber will get access to nearly 100 markets in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. The result: Uber’s delivery capacity would double.
Delivery Hero also struck a separate agreement to sell its business 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…
introspectionA San Diego-based startup trying 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 automotive lender Westlake Financial made strategic investments. Early-stage funds Costanoa Ventures, Rebellion Ventures and Brightcap Ventures also invested.
senra, A 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, and Founders Fund, among others.
ZeptoThe Indian fast-delivery company is seeking a valuation well below its $7 billion peak in an initial public offering, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources.
Notable readings and other news
chip motorsA Miami-based startup has revealed a low-speed small EV designed for short errands and families, and with some autonomous driving capabilities.
Los Angeles Police Department Flock is reportedly ending its deal with Safety, a surveillance company that helps law enforcement track vehicles using its thousands of license plate cameras installed across the United States.
Lucid Motors is pushing back — and vigorously — on a report that claims the EV maker is considering whether to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company’s comms team, its CEO, and filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission all say the same thing: The rumors are false. The company’s stock fell more than 50% on initial reports Tuesday, its biggest intra-day decline ever. The stock has since recovered and now trades about 28% higher than before the big drop.
lift ceo David Risher According to Wired it is the “good Uber”.
Manual, or standard, transmission vehicles It’s a dying breed, with preliminary government data showing that only 0.6% of new vehicles built for the US in 2025 had stick shifts, the Washington Post reports. I have two manual vehicles. Does this make me a driving unicorn?
National Transportation Safety Board the driver said Tesla The one that crashed into a home in June had pressed the accelerator pedal 100%, overriding the company’s full self-driving (supervised) software.
san francisco mayor Daniel Lurie State regulators have been urged to tighten regulations on autonomous vehicles after a Waymo robotaxis became disabled in heavy traffic on July 4, losing power and blocking major roads, escalating the standoff. In a letter (excerpted here) Lurie outlined four main requirements he would like to see enacted to ensure that robotaxi companies can “perform reliably” during extraordinary events.
spacex The second launch attempt of its Advanced Starship rocket system was abruptly aborted Thursday, moments after the booster ignited at the company’s complex in South Texas.
zox A software recall was issued in June after one of its robotaxis became confused by smoke from an emergency fire scene.
One more thing…
uber Chief Product Officer Sachin Kansal TechCrunch spoke to the EIC connie loizos All about travel, AI agents and both sides of the robotaxi race in the latest Strictly VC podcast episode. If you’d like to read the interview, check out the Q&A.
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