Uber vs Waymo: DC Robotaxi Lobbying Battle Explained

Uber and Waymo have ended their robotaxi partnership and are now lobbying in opposite directions on a proposed Washington D.C. law that would impose $1M application fees, $5M permits, and $0.15-per-mile taxes on autonomous vehicles. Uber quietly supports the bill to protect its human driver workforce; Waymo opposes it as regulatory capture designed to slow AV-only competition. If you're building AV-only operations like Waymo, your competitor just wrote the rulebook in the nation's capital—and if D.C. passes this, Chicago and Houston will copy it. You're now paying $5M plus per-mile taxes to operate in cities where Uber's drivers compete tax-free.