Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
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…
It is remarkable that officials in San Francisco have to put out announcement that if Waymos are lit on fire during protests that they likely will just let them burn
Barrons speculates on why protestors are burning Waymo vehicles
CNBC reports on photos of the rather spectacular Waymo fires in Los Angeles during the ICD protests
WSJ reports on how Waymos have become a target of protests. Current count is 5 Waymos destroyed.
electrek reports on how Tesla continues to try to hide their crash data.
LA Times reports on how awful Waymo is towards neighbors. Their charging lots create loud sounds 24-hours a day. Neighbors have taken to blocking the vehicles with cones or even their bodies.
NY Times reports that driverless trucks are starting in Texas, but with very little oversight. And it must be noted that Aurora has reverted to having human drivers as backups, which ensures that there will be no cost saving for now.
Fortune reports on how Tesla is supposed to launch their robotaxi system in Austin in June, yet they lack the fundamental technology to operate autonomous vehicles. Surely they will simply be using human drivers in what is basically an absurdly expensive ride hailing scheme.
CNBC reports of another recall of Waymo robotaxis. This time the problem was that they drove into chains, gates, and other roadway barriers, situations that would have been easily avoided by human drivers.
electrek reports the list of questions the NHTSA is asking about Tesla's alleged robotaxi system. The issue is that it is based on FSD, but FSD is know to be inadequate and dangerous.
Reuters reports on how NHTSA is very leery of Tesla using FSD for their robotaxis given that FSD simply is inadequate and dangerous.
SF Standard reports that to the surprise of no one, Uber is now planning on also operating vehicles on the Transit Only portion of Market Street.
Scientific American reports that the DoT has changed AV rules for Level 2 vehicles (Tesla FSD, but not Waymo) so that fewer safety incidents need to be reported. Three reporting regulations were also eased: whether the car had been driven in conditions in which it was designed to operate; a plain-language description of the circumstances of the crash; and the version of automated self-driving software that was in use.
SF Examiner reports on how California state legislators are currently not trying to move forward legislation that would give local jurisdictions the opportunity to regulate robotaxis. Part of the reason is that Mayor Lurie is now trying to welcome Waymos to the transit only portion of Market St instead of trying to regulate them.
CNBC reports that the California DMV has announced that they are seeking public comment on proposed regulation changes for robotaxis.
