Overview
- Reporting by WIRED has shown Uber lobbyists pressed lawmakers in New Jersey and Washington, D.C., to write 'hybrid network' rules into law so ride-hail platforms, not standalone robotaxi apps, control rider access.
- In New Jersey a draft circulated by an Uber-linked lobbyist would require human drivers to provide 85 percent of platform rides for three years, a rule that could force AV developers onto third-party apps rather than letting them run their own services.
- A D.C. proposal authored by Council member Charles Allen would create a permit program, cap operators at 200 vehicles until January 1, 2028, and levy a 15-cent-per-mile vehicle-miles-traveled tax, and Uber lobbyists sought explicit permission for hybrid networks in that program.
- Labor groups protested the D.C. hearing, arguing that rapid robotaxi market share gains have already cut driver earnings, while Uber says hybrid rules are a compromise to protect workers and win politically viable regulation.
- Technical requirements in the New Jersey text would force multiple sensors and emergency controls such as steering wheels and pedals, a change that would limit camera-only approaches like Tesla's and affect purpose-built robotaxis and overall competition.