Weekly Roundup: Waymo Narrows Price Gap With Uber and Lyft as Robotaxi Competition Heats Up

Waymo narrows price gap with Uber and Lyft as robotaxis get more competitive in San Francisco. Gig worker earnings fell 2% nationwide in 2025 despite new protections. NYC Council overrides mayoral veto to pass just-cause deactivation law. Federal judges uphold NYC tipping laws against legal challenges from DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart. We break it all down for you.

Waymo Narrows Price Gap With Uber and Lyft as Robotaxi Competition Heats Up

Source: TechCrunch

New pricing data from Obi shows Waymo robotaxi trips in the Bay Area now average $19.69, compared with $17.47 for Uber and $15.47 for Lyft, narrowing the price gap as human-driven rides get more expensive. Compared to April 2025, Waymo’s average price is down 3.6%, while Uber’s is up 12% and Lyft’s up 7%, signaling that autonomous rides are starting to compete more directly on cost and wait times rather than novelty.

• Tesla’s pilot ride-hail service, using employee drivers and Full Self-Driving, averaged just $8.17 per ride in San Francisco, with prices rarely exceeding $10, but posted the longest ETAs at 15.3 minutes.

• Waymo’s average ETA was 5.74 minutes versus Lyft’s 5.14 and Uber’s 3.15, reflecting fleet expansion from 800 to more than 1,000 vehicles and a shift toward operating more like a mainstream rideshare option.

• Survey data of 2,000 respondents in CA, NV, AZ, and TX found 48.3% expect autonomous vehicles to become their main rideshare, with Waymo the top preferred AV brand overall and Tesla strongly favored among men.

Gig Worker Earnings Fell in 12 of 15 Major U.S. Metros in 2025

Source: Solo earnings data

Despite a wave of new protections and minimum pay rules, rideshare and delivery workers saw average hourly earnings fall 2% nationwide in 2025, from $17.41 to $17.06, according to insights from the Solo app. Only Philadelphia, Chicago, and Atlanta posted year-over-year gains, while 12 of 15 large metros saw driver pay decline in real terms.

• Philadelphia led with a 2.11% increase to $17.60 per hour, followed by Chicago at $17.49 (+1.03%) and Atlanta at $16.43 (+0.97%).

• Denver was hit hardest, with average earnings dropping nearly 8% to $18.26, while Las Vegas fell 4.41% to $16.16 and Houston nearly 4% to $15.18.

NYC Council Overrides Veto, Enacts Just-Cause Deactivation Protections for Rideshare Drivers

Source:NY1

The New York City Council has overridden former Mayor Eric Adams’ veto of Intro 276, passing a “just cause” deactivation law that significantly limits when Uber and Lyft can fire or suspend drivers. The law shifts the burden of proof onto companies, requires 14 days’ notice for non-egregious cases, and provides backpay and access to city-supported legal help if drivers are wrongfully deactivated.

• Drivers will now have access to an independent city agency appeals process, rather than internal company-controlled systems, to challenge unfair deactivations.

• The Independent Drivers Guild says last-minute changes weakened the bill, arguing that limited agency resources and the loss of neutral arbitration could create delays and push companies to seek TLC license revocations as a workaround.

• Lyft claims the policy will harm rider safety and says it is already improving deactivation policies, while Uber declined comment; the law takes effect in 180 days, giving platforms time to overhaul their enforcement and appeals processes.

Waymo, Tesla, Uber, and Lyft Graded in New Robotaxi Report Card

Source: Business Insider

A new Obi robotaxi report card finds Waymo closing the gap with Uber and Lyft on both pricing and wait times in San Francisco, while Tesla’s nascent robotaxi-style service undercuts all competitors on price but lags badly on ETAs. Waymo is now about 12.7% more expensive than Uber and 27.3% more expensive than Lyft on average, down from the 30–40% premium seen in mid-2025.

• Tesla’s average ride price of $8.17 is less than half of Lyft’s $15.47, but with a 15.32-minute ETA and a small, employee-driven fleet operating under a charter permit, the service is more brand-building experiment than true robotaxi at this stage.

• Obi’s survey shows trust in AVs rising, with nearly half of respondents expecting autonomous vehicles to become their primary rideshare, as players like Waymo, Tesla, Motional, Nuro/Uber, and Avride jockey for early market share.

Courts Uphold NYC Tipping Laws Against DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart Challenges

Source: Reuters

Federal judges in Manhattan rejected efforts by DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart to block New York City’s new tipping and pay rules for food-delivery apps, including a requirement to offer a tipping option at checkout and suggest a minimum 10% tip. The rulings clear the way for the laws to take effect on January 26, reinforcing the city’s broader push to regulate app-based delivery economics and protect worker income.

• Judges found the rules advanced goals like cost transparency, consumer choice, and worker protections, and did not violate free speech or improperly conflict with state law.

• The decision follows NYC’s earlier minimum pay law for delivery workers and comes amid city accusations that platform “design tricks” cost workers an estimated $554 million in tips while rival apps’ tipping held steady.

• DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart warn the rules could reduce demand by fueling “tipping fatigue” and raising costs, and all three companies plan to appeal, but for now must rework their checkout flows and pay structures to comply.

QUICK HITS

• Uber is launching a lab where they will gather driving data for robotaxi partners. – TechCrunch

• A class action lawsuit says Lyft’s priority pickup service is slower than advertised. – Top Class Actions

• The Government Accountability Office is conducting a congressional study on assaults in the rideshare and taxi industries and is recruiting drivers for small virtual discussion groups. Interested drivers can complete a 5-minute screening survey at the link. – GAO SURVEY

• Want to learn more about the robotaxi industry? Subscribe to The Driverless Digest, our new newsletter and podcast dedicated to the future of autonomous vehicles.

Must Listen Or Watch RSG Content

Here are this week’s featured podcast episode and YouTube videos:

• RSG268: Uber’s NEXT Big Move? Taxis!

• Don’t Do Cash Rides Like THIS

• If You’re Still Driving Uber Like It’s 2023, You’re Losing Money in 2026

• Lyft Teen Is Coming

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