Welcome again to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the way forward for transportation and now, greater than ever, how AI is enjoying a component. To get this in your inbox, join right here free of charge — simply click on TechCrunch Mobility!
Final week, I wrote about Uber and Waymo and the way their partnership seems to be deteriorating. I predicted the 2 firms would find yourself on opposing sides of autonomous automobile coverage. That wasn’t a guess.
For the previous a number of weeks, I’ve been speaking to sources and digging by way of correspondence Uber despatched to the D.C. Council, which is evaluating a proposed invoice that might permit autonomous autos to function in Washington, D.C.
What I discovered: Uber and Waymo are already on reverse sides of the proposal, sparring behind the scenes and in public. Uber has made a very attention-grabbing argument in its effort to form the principles that govern autonomous autos.
Uber, which opposes the D.C. invoice, argues it will displace for-hire human drivers and hand Waymo a de facto monopoly. As a substitute, it has lobbied for a system that might require robotaxis to function on a ride-hailing community alongside human drivers.
Insiders inform me the “hybrid” strategy has little likelihood of turning into legislation. But when it did, it will depart AV builders like Waymo with two suboptimal decisions: both put their robotaxis on ride-hailing apps like Uber or make use of human drivers alongside fleets of robotaxis that took years and tons of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} to develop.
A D.C. Council listening to on Monday drew representatives from Lyft, Tesla, Uber, and Waymo, together with dozens of incapacity rights and accessibility advocates, native enterprise and business teams, freeway security organizations, authorities officers, labor unions, and suppose tanks.
My takeaway — based mostly on the general public testimony and the calls and texts I obtained afterward — is that Waymo is without doubt one of the few firms that typically likes the invoice. A lot of the remainder of the business doesn’t.
Tesla’s senior coverage adviser, India Herdman, echoed considerations I’ve heard from a number of AV builders, together with objections to the 180-day, 250,000-mile obligatory testing requirement; the $1 million utility price; the $5 million allow price; and the $0.15-per-mile tax. Tesla, together with different firms, argued that testing miles amassed in different jurisdictions ought to rely towards the mileage threshold.
Waymo, which has been testing its AVs with human security operators in Washington, D.C., has already surpassed the 180-day and 250,000-mile necessities. Meaning if the invoice handed as written right this moment, Waymo would enter the market with a minimum of a six-month head begin.
Offers!
Uber is taken into account a ride-hailing and supply large. It’s now cementing that standing by way of a $14.8 billion deal to accumulate Germany’s Supply Hero.
If the deal closes — and it’ll completely take time to beat the regulatory hurdles — Uber will get entry to almost 100 markets throughout Europe, the Center East, Latin America, and Asia. The upshot: Uber’s supply footprint will double.
Supply Hero additionally made a separate settlement to promote its enterprise in 14 markets, the place Uber Eats is already working, to New York-based funding agency SSW Companions for $1.6 billion.
Different offers that bought my consideration …
Self Inspection, a San Diego-based startup making an attempt to disrupt the automobile inspection course of, raised $10 million in a spherical led by the household workplace of Sheryl Sandberg. Tire distributor U.S. AutoForce and automotive lender Westlake Monetary made strategic investments. Early-stage funds Costanoa Ventures, Revolt Ventures, and BrightCap Ventures additionally invested.
Senra, a startup modernizing how wire harnesses are made, raised $65 million in a Sequence B spherical co-led by Lowercarbon and Interlagos with participation from Common Catalyst, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and Founders Fund, amongst others.
Zepto, the Indian fast-delivery firm, is in search of a valuation in an preliminary public providing nicely under its $7 billion peak, Bloomberg reported, citing nameless sources.
Notable reads and different tidbits
Chip Motors, a Miami-based startup, revealed a low-speed small EV designed for brief errands and households, and with some automated driving capabilities.
The Los Angeles Police Division is reportedly ending its deal with Flock Security, a surveillance firm that helps legislation enforcement observe autos utilizing 1000’s of its license plate cameras positioned throughout the USA.
Lucid Motors is pushing again — and exhausting — on a report that claimed the EV maker was weighing whether or not to file for Chapter 11 chapter. The corporate’s comms workforce, its CEO, and a submitting with the U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee all say the identical factor: The rumors are false. The preliminary report despatched the corporate’s inventory down greater than 50% on Tuesday, its greatest intra-day drop ever. The inventory has since recovered and is now buying and selling about 28% larger than it was previous to the large drop.
Lyft CEO David Risher says it’s the “Good Uber,” per Wired.
Guide, or commonplace, transmission autos are a dying breed, in response to preliminary authorities information that reveals simply 0.6% of latest autos made for the U.S. in 2025 had stick shifts, the Washington Put up reported. I personal two handbook autos. Does that make me a driving unicorn?
The Nationwide Transportation Security Board mentioned the motive force of a Tesla who crashed right into a home in June had pressed the accelerator pedal to 100%, overriding the corporate’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software program.
San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie has urged state regulators to toughen guidelines on autonomous autos after Waymo robotaxis turned motionless in heavy July 4 visitors, ran out of energy, and blocked key streets, additional compounding the gridlock. In a letter (components of that are excerpted right here) Lurie outlined 4 core necessities he wish to see enacted to make sure robotaxi firms can “carry out reliably” throughout extraordinary occasions.
SpaceX abruptly aborted the second tried launch of its upgraded Starship rocket system on Thursday, simply moments after the booster ignited on the firm’s complicated in South Texas.
Zoox issued a software program recall after one among its robotaxis bought confused by smoke emitting from an emergency hearth scene in June.
Another factor …
Uber chief product officer Sachin Kansal talks to TechCrunch EIC Connie Loizos about journey, AI brokers, and enjoying each side of the robotaxi race, within the newest Strictly VC podcast episode. In the event you’d quite learn the interview, try the Q&A.
Whenever you buy by way of hyperlinks in our articles, we might earn a small fee. This doesn’t have an effect on our editorial independence.
