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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 opposite sides of autonomous vehicle policy. This was not a guess.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been talking to sources and investigating correspondence that Uber sent to DC Councilwhich evaluates a proposed bill that would allow autonomous vehicles to operate in Washington, DC
What I found: Uber and Waymo are already on opposite sides of the proposal, sparring behind the scenes and in public. Uber has made a particularly interesting argument in its attempt to shape the rules governing autonomous vehicles.
Uber, which opposes the D.C. bill, argues it would displace for-hire drivers and give Waymo a de facto monopoly. Instead, he pushed for a system that would require robotaxis to operate on a transportation network alongside human drivers.
Insiders tell me that the “hybrid” approach has little chance of becoming law. But if it did, it would leave AV developers like Waymo with two suboptimal choices: either put their robotaxis into apps like Uber or employ human drivers alongside fleets of robotaxis that have taken years and hundreds of millions of dollars to develop.
A DC Council hearing on Monday drew representatives from Lyft, 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 opinion — based on the public testimony and the calls and texts I’ve received afterward — is that Waymo is one of the few companies that generally likes the bill. Much of the rest of the industry does not.
Tesla Senior Policy Advisor, India Herdmanechoed concerns I’ve heard from many AV developers, including objections to the 180-day, 250,000-mile mandatory test requirement. the $1 million application fee; the $5 million permit fee; and the $0.15 per mile tax. Tesla, along with other companies, argued that test miles accrued in other jurisdictions should count toward the mileage limit.
Waymo, which is testing its AVs with human safety operators in Washington, D.C., has already exceeded the 180-day, 250,000-mile requirements. That means if the bill passed as written today, Waymo would enter the market with at least a six-month head start.
Offers!
Uber considered a giant of driving and delivery. It is now cementing that status through a $14.8 billion deal to acquire Germany’s Delivery Hero.
If the deal closes — and it will absolutely take time to clear regulatory hurdles — Uber will have access to nearly 100 markets across Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. The result: Uber’s delivery footprint will double.
Delivery Hero also struck a separate deal 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 offers that caught my eye…
Self-inspectiona 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. US tire distributor AutoForce and auto lender Westlake Financial have made strategic investments. Early stage funds Costanoa Ventures, Rebellion Ventures and BrightCap Ventures also invested.
senra, a startup modernizing the way cables are made, has raised $65 million in a Series B round led by Lowercarbon and Interlagos with participation from General Catalyst, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund, among others.
Zeptothe Indian express delivery company, is seeking a valuation in an initial public offering well below the $7 billion ceiling; Bloomberg reportedciting anonymous sources.
Notable reads and other items
Chip Motorsa startup based in Miami, revealed a low speed small EV designed for short errands and families, and with some automated driving capabilities.
THE Los Angeles Police Department is reportedly ending its deal with Flock Safety, a surveillance company that helps law enforcement track vehicles using thousands of license plate cameras installed across the United States.
Lucid Motors is pushing back—and hard—on a report that claimed the EV maker was weighing whether to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company’s comms team, its CEO and a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission all say the same thing: The rumors are false. The initial report sent the company’s stock down more than 50% on Tuesday, its biggest intraday drop ever. The stock has since recovered and is now trading about 28% higher than it was before the big drop.
Lyft CEO David Risher says it’s “Good Uber”, per Wired.
Manual or standard transmission vehicles it’s a dying breed, according to preliminary government figures showing that just 0.6% of new vehicles built for the US in 2025 had stick shifters. the Washington Post reported. I own two manual vehicles. Does that make me a driving unicorn?
THE National Transportation Safety Board said the driver of a Tesla that crashed into a house in June had pressed the gas pedal at 100%, bypassing the company’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software.
San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie urged state regulators to toughen rules for self-driving vehicles after the Waymo robotaxis stalled in heavy July 4th traffic, ran out of power and blocked major roads, further exacerbating gridlock. In a letter (parts of which are listed here) Lurie outlined four key requirements he’d like to see implemented to ensure robotaxi companies can “perform reliably” during emergency events.
SpaceX abruptly aborted the second launch attempt of the upgraded Starship missile system on Thursday, just moments after the booster ignited at the company’s South Texas complex.
Zoox issued a software recall after one of its robot taxis became confused by smoke emitted from a fire emergency scene in June.
One more thing…
Uber head of products Sahin Kansal talks to TechCrunch EIC Connie Loizo about travel, AI agents and playing both sides of the robotaxi race in the latest Strictly VC podcast episode. If you’d rather read the interview, check out the Q&A.
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