Related: Uber - Self-Driving Trucks Could Help Alleviate Driver Shortage
Uber, Waymo Settle Autonomous Vehicle Technology Lawsuit
Uber and Waymo have agreed to terms on a settlement in a lawsuit over alleged stolen autonomous vehicle technology that will give Waymo a stake in Uber and absolve the company of wrongdoing.

The lawsuit centered around Uber's acquisiton of Otto, an autonomous truck company started by a former Waymo employee. Photo: Uber

The lawsuit centered around Uber's acquisiton of Otto, an autonomous truck company started by a former Waymo employee. Photo: Uber
Uber and Waymo have agreed to terms on a settlement in a lawsuit over alleged stolen autonomous vehicle technology that will give Waymo a stake in Uber and absolve the company of wrongdoing. The settlement came amid legal proceedings.
Waymo will reportedly receive a relatively small amount of equity in Uber equal to about $245 million, or 0.34% of Uber’s $72 billion value. The two companies will also work together to ensure that Waymo’s Lidar and software in no way directly influenced Uber’s own designs. Uber stated that while it does not believe it has stolen any trade secrets or used Waymo’s proprietary self-driving technology, it will cooperate with Waymo to ensure the Lidar and software represents the company’s own work.
“While I cannot erase the past, I can commit, on behalf of every Uber employee, that we will learn from it, and it will inform our actions going forward,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber in a statement. “I’ve told Alphabet that the incredible people at Uber ATG are focused on ensuring that our development represents the very best of Uber’s innovation and experience in self-driving technology.”
The lawsuit stems from an accusation last year by Waymo, which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet, alleging that certain trade secrets related to the company’s custom built Lidar (light detection and ranging) sensor technology were stolen by Uber employee Anthony Levandowski.
Levandowski worked for Waymo before leaving to start his own autonomous truck company Otto. Otto was purchased by Uber and Levandowski became a key figure in the company’s autonomous vehicle technology efforts.
As a result of the accusations, Levandowski was forced to step down from his position and was later fired by Uber. When ordered to testify in the lawsuit, he invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination.
The trial finally began on Feb. 5 and ended quickly on Feb. 9, after a year of back and forth between the two companies.
“To our friends at Alphabet: we are partners, you are an important investor in Uber, and we share a deep belief in the power of technology to change people’s lives for the better,” said Khosrowshahi. “Of course, we are also competitors. And while we won’t agree on everything going forward, we agree that Uber’s acquisition of Otto could and should have been handled differently.”
More Safety
From Silos to Solutions: Relationship Management for Safer Fleets
From telematics adoption and driver accountability to policy consistency and risk mitigation, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build a safer fleet culture without slowing business down.
Read More →
IIHS Launches First Commercial Vehicle Safety Evaluations
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has begun evaluating heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans for driver protection. Which models earned top marks?
Read More →
Reducing Risk by Eliminating Phone Use Behind the Wheel
Hosted with the cofounder of Lifesaver Mobile, this episode addresses phone use behind the wheel and how to design a driving environment that actually helps prevents accidents.
Read More →
Cameras, Safety and Insurance: From Reactive Claims to Real-Time Prevention (Part 2 of 2)
Part Two: Commercial auto remains one of the most challenging and costly lines of coverage for fleet operators and insurers alike. Continue learning more about how to effectively address these issues from Onur Aksan, Enterprise Business Development Executive, Geotab
Read More →
How 5-Second Telematics Data Is Changing Fleet Safety
This episode connects with Steve Santostasi of Ford Pro and covers how a few seconds of data can make a difference in fleet safety.
Read More →
Managing Road Risk at Scale: Why Fleet Safety Needs a Data-Driven Framework
Insights from the FIA Road and Driver Safety Indexes reveal how to manage road risk on a larger scale.
Read More →
Stellantis Recalls 1.3 Million Jeep Vehicles Worldwide Over Fire Risk
Stellantis is recalling more than 1.3 million Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator models worldwide over a fire risk linked to power steering pump wiring.
Read More →
Coaching Is Not Training, Even When AI Is Doing It
AI-powered safety platforms can detect risky behaviors and deliver immediate feedback. But effective driver development still requires a foundation of training followed by coaching that reinforces those skills.
Read More →
How Emotions Behind the Wheel Can Affect Fleet Safety
During National Safety Month, fleets are encouraged to look beyond distracted driving and recognize how stress, fatigue, and emotional well-being influence driver performance and crash risk.
Read More →
Nominations Open for 2026 Fleet Safety Award
Nominations have officially opened for the 2026 Fleet Safety Award Winner.
Read More →
