Waymo doubles spending on lobbying in robotaxi battle with Uber

Waymo has sharply increased its lobbying spending as it seeks to persuade US regulators to clear a path for fully autonomous taxi services, intensifying its battle with rival Uber over the future of robotaxis. The Alphabet-owned company spent more than $1 million between April and June on lobbying the federal government, more than double its outlay a year earlier, according to filings. That put Waymo’s spending close to Uber’s and well ahead of rivals including Amazon’s Zoox and Tesla. The rise in lobbying comes as Waymo and Uber push competing visions for the future of ride-hailing. Waymo wants a faster route to fully driverless commercial services, while Uber is advocating a staggered rollout in which robotaxis operate alongside human drivers. Their diverging legislative strategies have contributed to their relationship souring. The FT reported last month that Waymo was exploring options to exit its Uber partnership in Austin and Atlanta, where the ride-hailing group operates its services. “They’ve both stepped up lobbying and are pushing up against each other, which now appears to be hastening their divorce,” said Walter Piecyk, an analyst at LightShed Partners. Both companies are lobbying aggressively in several US states and Washington, DC, after pushback stalled their expansion to markets including New York and Chicago, as politicians and labour groups warn the technology could displace drivers and undercut existing services. In the first six months of 2026, Waymo increased its spending by 93 percent from the year before to slightly more than $2 million. It has called for a federal framework to ease the rollout of robotaxis. In May, it hired law firm Greenberg Traurig to lobby on its behalf, adding to a roster of several other Washington firms.