Waymo has sharply increased its lobbying spending as it seeks to persuade US regulators to clear a faster path for fully autonomous robotaxi services, deepening its rivalry with Uber over the future of ride-hailing. Waymo wants an accelerated rollout of driverless commercial services, while Uber favours a staggered approach in which robotaxis operate alongside human drivers, a divergence that analysts say is hastening the breakdown of their partnership in cities such as Austin and Atlanta.

The Alphabet-owned firm spent over $1 million lobbying the federal government between April and June, more than double the previous year and close to Uber's own outlay, while outspending rivals such as Amazon's Zoox and Tesla. Over the first half of 2026 its lobbying spend rose 93 percent to just over $2 million, including a new contract with law firm Greenberg Traurig, and it has outspent both Uber and Zoox in Washington, DC. In New York state it has spent more than half a million dollars, over double Uber's figure, and reportedly offered a $20 million fund for drivers affected by the technology, while Uber has committed over $10 billion to AV investments and is pushing New Jersey rules requiring human drivers for at least 85 percent of rides during a proposed pilot scheme.