Uber Joins Taxi Unions to Slow Waymo's Robotaxi Rollout

Uber is working with driver unions to delay the rollout of robotaxis as Alphabet's Waymo and other rivals intensify competition in autonomous driving. According to Sina Finance, Uber has also pushed for rules in New Jersey and Washington, D.C., that would require ride-hailing platforms to operate a "hybrid network" with both autonomous vehicles and human drivers. The company outlined that position in a policy paper in May, saying driver income in Los Angeles and San Francisco has already fallen because of Waymo competition. Uber President Andrew Macdonald said the stance "sounds rather ironic," while 32BJ union chairman Manny Pastreich said the two sides have aligned in some cases to slow the next step in autonomous deployment. Uber sold its internal autonomous-driving unit for $4 billion in 2020, and CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has since faced investor pressure to clarify the company's autonomous strategy. He has said robotaxis represent a trillion-dollar market opportunity, but that the technology has not yet taken Uber's market share. Uber later shifted to a partnership model and said it would invest more than $10 billion to buy vehicles and back multiple autonomous-driving companies. Robotaxi orders account for less than 0.5% of Uber's total orders. On Wednesday, Khosrowshahi announced about 3,300 layoffs, or roughly 10% of global staff, to streamline management and reallocate company resources.