The Verge -Zoox can now charge for rides in its steering-wheel-free robotaxis
The Verge reports that now Zoox can get passengers into dangerous situations, just like the other robotaxi companies.
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Politics
Cars, being fast moving and heavy, are quite dangerous. They should be well regulated for safety. But it turns out regulations can be bought and paid for by lobbying money…
Read MoreThe Verge -Zoox can now charge for rides in its steering-wheel-free robotaxis
SF Standard – Lurie welcomes federal regulation of Waymo and robotaxi industry
SF Standard reports that SF Mayor Lurie is finally realizing that robotaxis need better regulation. Unfortunately instead of doing something about the problem locally (restrict robotaxis from large events) he passes the buck to legislation that will not pass, making it look like he is doing something when actually he is not.
Financial Times – Waymo explores split with Uber as robotaxi tensions deepen
The Financial TImes confirms that Waymo and Uber are most definitely getting a divorce.
SF Standard – Waymo meltdowns, Lurie pressure, spur push for tougher robotaxi rules
SF Standard reports that Mayor Lurie is finally realizing that Waymos are causing repeated problems in San Francisco and that more regulations are needed for robotaxis.
SF Chronicle – Waymo pauses San Francisco service as massive PG&E outage hits traffic lights
SF Chronicle reports that Waymo cars still are not able to handle traffic signal outages and had to temporarily discontinue service in areas of San Francisco.
SF Chronicle – S.F. July 4 traffic meltdown: Lurie urges state leaders to clamp down on Waymo
SF Chronicle reports that San Francisco Mayor Lurie has finally realized that Waymo robotaxis are only half baked and absolutely cannot handle large events and other complicated situations.
FastCompany – Waymo’s July 4 chaos in San Francisco raises new questions about how robotaxis can work at scale
FastCompany reports that cities need to be able restrict robotaxis from areas where there are large events. Otherwise they tend to consistently cause havoc.
SF Chronicle – Emails to S.F. leaders suggest July 4 traffic meltdown was sparked by key road obstructions
Well, well, well. Appears that the divorce between Waymo and Uber is now official. Though it must be said that Waymo was indeed the cause of a great deal of the congestion. Of course the real root of the problem is that some idiot decided to move the 4th of July fireworks to the Golden Gate Bridge where there is far more limited road and transit access. Plus far too many people decided to take cars, including Ubers.
Wired – Uber’s Autonomous Vehicle Strategy: Slow Their Adoption
Not only is Uber divorcing Waymo but they are also trying to sabotage robotaxis in general.
SF Standard – Delays, detours, and passed-out riders: Waymos keep blocking SF firefighters
SF Standard reports that Waymos interfering with emergency responders continues to be completely out of hand. The examples are shocking.
NHTSA sends letter to robotaxi companies telling them to quit interfering with emergency responders
The NHTSA writes a rather direct and nasty letter to robotaxi companies telling them to get their act together and stop interfering with emergency responders.
SF Standard – Waymos stalled and snarled traffic after SF’s biggest fireworks show in years
SF Standard reports on how once again Waymo vehicles are incompetent at driving and cause complete traffic chaos.
Business Insider – Trump’s DOT proposes new rules for driverless vehicles
Business Insider reports that the DOT will likely grant robotaxi companies the ability to use an unlimited number of vehicles that cannot be driven by a human. But there is a big problem. When the robotaxi goes haywire and blocks traffic then an emergency responder will not be able to drive the vehicle so that it is out of the way.
New York Times – Why Waymo’s Driverless Taxis Won’t Be on Your Streets Anytime Soon
New York Times reports on how Waymo robotaxis won't be on the streets of some major cities, including New York, within the foreseeable future. Turns out there are lots of issues.
Reuters – US senators ask for review of Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ safety data, citing Reuters report
Reuters reports that Tesla has once again exaggerated its safety claims creating “an urgent safety problem.” So why is FSD still allowed to be used on our public streets?
