At the local level, the robotaxi operator has outspent both Uber and Zoox in lobbying legislators in the District of Columbia. It has pressed local regulators to allow robotaxi services in the nation’s capital, including by inviting residents earlier this year to write in support of its rollout.
In New York state, Waymo has spent more than half a million dollars so far this year—more than double Uber’s lobbying spend—as it seeks a foothold in one of the largest taxi markets.
Its lobbying in the state intensified after Governor Kathy Hochul earlier this year walked back proposals that would have allowed autonomous vehicle companies to run services across most of the state.
Waymo offered to set up a $20 million fund to support drivers affected by the technology’s deployment, according to people familiar with the matter.
In New Jersey, it has engaged lawmakers who are exploring a three-year pilot program to test deployments.
Waymo said in a statement that it was advocating for the rollout of autonomous vehicles and was not pursuing measures that would limit competitors or “prescribe” how the technology was deployed.
Uber, meanwhile, has been racing to make up lost ground in AVs after abandoning its in-house self-driving effort in 2020, committing more than $10 billion over the past year through equity stakes and robotaxi fleet agreements.
The ride-hailing group has warned several Democratic-led states against a carte blanche rollout and has instead lobbied for so-called hybrid networks that route rides to both human drivers and autonomous vehicles.
In New Jersey, Uber lobbyists have proposed that any platform offering robotaxi services also use human drivers for at least 85 percent of all rides during a three-year pilot program.
Critics have accused Uber of seeking regulatory capture by attempting to keep rides flowing through its platform as it grapples with rising competition.
Uber has said it is false that they were “anti-AV or seeking to slow AV deployment.” It said hybrid networks “get the technology to consumers sooner while giving policymakers a practical framework to manage the transition.”
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