Waymo Doubles Lobbying Spending in Robotaxi Battle with Uber

Waymo's spending spree just exploded. It poured more than $1 million into federal lobbying between April and June, and that's more than double what the Alphabet-owned company shelled out during the same stretch a year earlier, according to federal filings. But the real story is the robotaxi war with Uber. That's the battlefield. And Waymo's not backing down.

The spending surge puts Waymo nearly on par with Uber's federal lobbying outlay. It's far ahead of rivals like Amazon's Zoox and Tesla. That's a big deal. This marks an escalation in a fight that has moved from the marketplace to the halls of power, as both companies push competing visions for how autonomous vehicles should enter American roads, and they're clearly willing to spend heavily to shape that outcome. So the stakes have never been higher.

Two Roads to Autonomy

Waymo wants a fast track to fully driverless commercial service. Uber argues for a staggered rollout, where robotaxis operate alongside human drivers in what it calls hybrid networks. These aren't just philosophical differences. They are legislative strategies that have driven the two companies apart.

The Financial Times 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. The relationship has soured as their policy goals have diverged.

"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.

State-Level Spending Spikes

Waymo's spending jumped 93 percent in the first half of 2026, hitting just over $2 million. That's a staggering leap. And the company isn't slowing down, it's pushing hard for a federal framework that would clear the way for robotaxis to roll out across the entire country, replacing the current patchwork of state rules. So they're betting big on a national green light.

Waymo's lobbying push in Washington didn't stop with the federal government. In May, the company hired Greenberg Traurig, a heavyweight law firm, to advocate on its behalf, adding yet another name to a roster that already included several other firms with deep connections in the capital. But at the local level, the robotaxi operator has actually outspent both Uber and Zoox in its efforts to influence legislators in the District of Columbia. That's a striking detail. It shows where the real fight is happening.

Waymo has pressed local regulators hard. It even invited residents earlier this year to write in support of its robotaxi rollout, and now the company is seeking a foothold in one of the largest taxi markets in the country, the nation's capital itself. But that foothold won't come easily. Regulators don't just hand over the streets. So Waymo's push is deliberate, and it's betting that public letters can tip the scale.

New York Tensions

In New York state, Waymo has spent more than half a million dollars so far this year. That's more than double Uber's lobbying spend in the state. The lobbying intensified after Governor Kathy Hochul earlier this year walked back proposals that would have allowed autonomous vehicle companies to run services across most of the state.

Waymo offered to set up a $20 million fund to support drivers affected by the technology's deployment, according to people familiar with the matter. That's a serious commitment. But in New Jersey, it has engaged lawmakers who are exploring a three-year pilot program to test deployments, and those conversations could shape how the state handles autonomous vehicles for years to come. So the pressure is on. We've seen this pattern before, yet the details matter here, and they're still being worked out. Can't ignore the stakes.

Waymo said in a statement that it was advocating for the rollout of autonomous vehicles and was not pursuing measures that would limit competitors or "prescribe" how the technology was deployed.

Uber's Countermove

Uber has been racing to make up lost ground in autonomous vehicles. It abandoned its in-house self-driving effort in 2020. That was a major setback. So the ride-hailing group has committed more than $10 billion over the past year through equity stakes and robotaxi fleet agreements, a hefty bet designed to buy back into a game it can't afford to sit out.

The company has warned several Democratic-led states against a carte blanche rollout. Instead, Uber has lobbied for hybrid networks that route rides to both human drivers and autonomous vehicles. In New Jersey, Uber lobbyists have proposed that any platform offering robotaxi services also use human drivers for at least 85 percent of all rides during a three-year pilot program.

Uber's facing a tough accusation: it's trying to buy regulatory capture, keeping rides flowing while rivals crowd the market. Critics say that's the whole game, a quiet squeeze on competition as the platform fights to hold its ground. But Uber's answer is blunt. They claim it's false that they're "anti-AV or seeking to slow AV deployment," a denial that doesn't erase the lingering suspicion around their motives, especially as pressure mounts from every side. So the dispute boils down to trust, and neither side's budging.

Hybrid networks "get the technology to consumers sooner while giving policymakers a practical framework to manage the transition," Uber said.

Pushback Slows Expansion

They're lobbying hard in several US states and Washington, DC. But pushback stalled their expansion into markets like New York and Chicago, so both companies are now fighting back with aggressive campaigns that target politicians and regulators alike. Politicians and labour groups warn the tech could displace drivers and undercut existing services. It's a real threat.

That resistance has turned lobbying into a competitive weapon. They aren't just fighting each other. But the deeper battle is against a broader skepticism about autonomous vehicles, a wariness that has slowed deployment across the entire industry and continues to cast a long shadow over every new rollout and test program.

• Waymo spent more than $1 million on federal lobbying in Q2 2026
• Uber committed over $10 billion to AV partnerships in the past year
• Both companies face regulatory hurdles in New York, Chicago, and DC

The lobbying numbers tell the story. Waymo doubles its spending while Uber pours billions into partnerships, and both are betting that policy wins will determine who ultimately controls the future of ride-hailing. That's the whole game. But it's a costly one.

The battle has shifted. It's no longer on the streets, it's in the statehouses now. And the outcome won't just decide the fate of two companies, because it will shape how millions of Americans hail rides for the entire coming decade, a decade where every trip could hinge on these legislative fights. That's the real prize.