The Washington autonomous driving bill sparks a direct confrontation between Uber and Waymo

Glonghui, July 13th｜A draft bill in Washington, D.C. allowing autonomous vehicles to operate on public roads is becoming a key pilot for Uber’s overall self-driving taxi strategy. Uber is no longer merely investing in or partnering with autonomous taxi development firms; it is also seeking to lead the establishment of industry regulations, a move that puts it in direct opposition to its business partner, Waymo. Uber opposes the bill, claiming that the new rules would squeeze the job opportunities of licensed ride-hailing drivers and, in effect, create an industry monopoly for Waymo. Reportedly, Uber is lobbying for a requirement that autonomous taxis must connect to ride-hailing dispatch platforms that also employ human drivers. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, supports the bill, stating it will ensure the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles, contribute to the development of public transportation, safeguard travel equity, and balance the interests of industry participants—while not imposing any restrictions on companies like Uber.If Uber’s lobbying efforts succeed and Washington or other regions adopt a hybrid dispatch platform model, companies like Waymo would be left with only two options: either integrate with third-party ride-hailing apps such as Uber to receive ride orders, or build their own operating platforms and hire human drivers alongside their autonomous fleets, which have already cost hundreds of millions of dollars and taken years to develop. However, from Uber's perspective, if Waymo successfully pushes the bill through, Uber itself could be completely squeezed out of the local autonomous ride-hailing market.