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Last week I wrote about Uber and Waymo and how their partnership appears to be deteriorating. I predicted that the two companies would end up on opposite sides of autonomous vehicle policy. That was not an assumption.

Over the past few weeks, I have been speaking with sources and investigating correspondence that Uber sent to the DC Councilwhich is evaluating a bill that would allow autonomous vehicles to operate in Washington, DC

What I found: Uber and Waymo are already on opposite sides of the proposal, arguing behind the scenes and in public. Uber has made a particularly interesting argument in its effort to shape the rules governing autonomous vehicles.

Uber, which opposes the D.C. bill, argues that it would displace contracted human drivers and give Waymo a de facto monopoly. Instead, it has pushed for a system that would require robotaxis to operate on a transportation network alongside human drivers.

Insiders tell me the “hybrid” approach has little chance of becoming law. But doing so would leave AV developers like Waymo with two suboptimal options: put their robotaxis into transportation apps like Uber or employ human drivers alongside fleets of robotaxis that took years and hundreds of millions of dollars to develop.

A D.C. Council hearing on Monday drew representatives from Lyft, teslaUber and Waymo, along with dozens of disability rights and accessibility advocates, local business and industry groups, traffic safety organizations, government officials, unions, and think tanks.

My conclusion, based on public testimony and the calls and texts I received afterward, is that Waymo is one of the few companies that generally likes the bill. Much of the rest of the industry does not.

Tesla’s chief policy advisor, indian shepherdechoed concerns I’ve heard from several AV developers, including objections to the mandatory 180-day, 250,000-mile testing requirement; the $1 million application fee; the $5 million permit fee; and the tax of $0.15 per mile. Tesla, along with other companies, argued that test miles accumulated in other jurisdictions should count toward the mileage threshold.

Waymo, which has been testing its autonomous vehicles with life safety operators in Washington, D.C., has already exceeded the 180-day, 250,000-mile requirements. That means if the bill passes as written today, Waymo would enter the market with at least six months head start.

Offers!

Uber It is considered a transportation and delivery giant. Now it is cementing that status through a $14.8 billion deal to acquire Germany’s Delivery Hero.

If the deal closes (and it will definitely take time to clear regulatory hurdles), Uber will have access to nearly 100 markets in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. The result: Uber’s delivery footprint will double.

Delivery Hero also reached a separate deal to sell its business in 14 markets, where Uber Eats already operates, to New York-based investment firm SSW Partners for $1.6 billion.

Other offers that caught my attention…

Self inspectionA San Diego-based startup trying to disrupt the vehicle inspection process, raised $10 million in a round led by Sheryl Sandberg’s family office. Tire distributor US AutoForce and automotive lender Westlake Financial made strategic investments. Also investing were early-stage funds Costanoa Ventures, Rebellion Ventures and BrightCap Ventures.

Senra, a startup that modernizes the way wire harnesses are manufactured, raised $65 million in a Series B round co-led by Lowercarbon and Interlagos with participation from General Catalyst, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund, among others.

ZeptoThe Indian fast delivery company is seeking a valuation in an initial public offering well below its $7 billion high, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources.

Notable readings and other tidbits

chip enginesA Miami-based startup, revealed a small, low-speed electric vehicle designed for short errands and families, and with some automated driving capabilities.

He Los Angeles Police Department It is reportedly ending its agreement with Flock Safety, a surveillance company that helps law enforcement track vehicles using thousands of its license plate cameras located across the United States.

Lucid engines is pushing back, and forcefully, on a report that claimed the electric vehicle maker was weighing filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company’s communications team, its CEO and a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission all say the same thing: The rumors are false. The initial report sent the company’s shares tumbling more than 50% on Tuesday, its biggest intraday drop ever. The stock has since recovered and is now trading about 28% higher than before the big drop.

Lyft executive director David Risher says it’s the “Good Uber,” according to Wired.

Vehicles with manual or standard transmission are a dying breed, according to preliminary government data showing that just 0.6% of new vehicles made for the U.S. in 2025 had manual transmissions, the Washington Post reported. I have two manual vehicles. Does that make me a driving unicorn?

He National Transportation Safety Board said the driver of a tesla who crashed into a house in June had pressed the accelerator pedal to 100%, overriding the company’s fully autonomous (supervised) driving software.

san francisco mayor Daniel Lurie has urged state regulators to tighten rules on autonomous vehicles after Waymo robotaxis became immobile in heavy traffic on the Fourth of July, ran out of power and blocked key streets, further exacerbating the gridlock. In a letter (parts of which are excerpted here), Lurie outlined four basic requirements he would like to see implemented to ensure robotaxi companies can “perform reliably” during extraordinary events.

SpaceX abruptly aborted the second launch attempt of its upgraded Starship rocket system on Thursday, moments after the booster ignited at the company’s complex in South Texas.

zoox issued a software recall after one of its robotaxis became confused by smoke emitted from the scene of an emergency fire in June.

One more thing…

Uber product manager Sachin Kansal talk to TechCrunch EIC Connie Loizos about travel, AI agents and how to play both sides of the robotaxi race, in the latest episode of the Strictly VC podcast. If you prefer to read the interview, check out the questions and answers.