Waymo has raised its lobbying budget to $1mn between April and June, more than double the spend a year earlier and now close to Uber’s outlay.

The Alphabet‑owned firm is pushing for a rapid rollout of fully driverless commercial services, while Uber favors a staggered, hybrid model that keeps human drivers alongside robotaxis. Their divergent strategies have strained their partnership, with Waymo even exploring exits from its Austin and Atlanta operations.

Locally, Waymo has spent over $500k in New York state, more than twice Uber’s lobbying spend, and has outspent competitors in Washington DC lobbying legislators to allow robotaxi services in the capital. The company also offered a $20mn fund to help drivers affected by autonomous deployment.

Uber, meanwhile, has committed over $10bn to its robotaxi initiatives and lobbied for hybrid networks that require at least 85% of rides to be served by human drivers during pilot programmes. The battle for regulatory control continues as both firms aggressively court lawmakers across the country.