Uber Pushes New Jersey 85% Human-Driver Rule for 3 Years, Limiting Robotaxi Rivals
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Jul 12
Uber Pushes New Jersey 85% Human-Driver Rule for 3 Years, Limiting Robotaxi Rivals
2 articles · Updated · WIRED · Jul 12
Summary
Uber lobbyists circulated New Jersey language that would require any driverless ride-hailing platform to use human drivers for 85% of trips for three years.
That threshold would likely block Waymo, Zoox and Tesla from running standalone robotaxi apps in the state, pushing them onto third-party platforms such as Uber if they want market access.
The proposal is not in Senator Andrew Zwicker’s current AV bill, but the legislation—New Jersey’s first self-driving framework—could be voted on this fall and already includes sensor and manual-control rules that would constrain Tesla and Zoox.
Uber says it backs autonomous vehicles but wants “hybrid networks” that keep human drivers in the system; in Washington, DC, it has also lobbied for rules ensuring ride-hail apps can participate alongside AV operators.
The push marks a sharper turn in Uber’s post-2020 strategy: after shutting its own AV program, it has signed deals with more than 25 robotaxi companies while seeking regulation that preserves its role as the main booking platform.
Is Uber's push for 'hybrid networks' a genuine safety measure or a strategy to sideline its driverless rivals?
As robotaxis replace drivers, will a single app control our rides, or will new mobility giants emerge to challenge Uber?
New Jersey’s S1677: How Sensor Mandates and the 85% Human-Driver Rule Could Reshape the Autonomous Vehicle Industry
Overview
New Jersey is moving forward with Senate Bill S1677, which cleared the Senate Transportation Committee and is now being reviewed by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. This bill aims to set strict safety requirements for fully driverless commercial vehicles by mandating the use of cameras plus two other types of sensors, such as lidar and radar, to ensure obstacle detection even if cameras fail. The legislation responds to concerns about the reliability of single-sensor systems and addresses confirmed engineering failures found by federal safety investigators, highlighting the state's push for safer, multi-sensor autonomous vehicle technology.