KRON4 – Zoox recalls fleet after robotaxi enters smoky emergency scene
KRON4 reports that Zoox had to recall their entire fleet due to their clankers not being able to avoid active emergency scenes.
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
News
The news media has expended considerable effort researching and publishing information about the robotaxi business. This channel highlights some of the important articles.
Read MoreKRON4 – Zoox recalls fleet after robotaxi enters smoky emergency scene
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.
SF Chronicle – ‘They’re going to kill me’: A Waymo rider was trapped inside as vandals smashed the robotaxi
SF Chronicle reports how a rider of a robotaxi was attacked and Waymo was completely unhelpful. Shame there was no driver around to maneuver the car out of the dangerous sistuationl
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.
SF Chronicle – Two Bay Area teens up to ‘trouble’ in a Waymo nabbed by police
SF Chronicle reports that a couple of wayward teens managed to ride in a Waymo unaccompanied, which is not legal in California. Drinking, shooting of projectiles, and general hilarity ensued.
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.
The Independent – I used a self-driving car for 100 days. These are the mistakes it kept making
The Independent reports on how a Tesla using FSD was tested for 100 days and experienced more than 500 safety-critical events that requred driver intervention or revealed an important limitation.
TechCrunch – Waymo and Uber quietly part ways in Phoenix
TechCrunch reports that the marriage between Waymo and Uber was really just one of temporary convenience.
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.
LA Times – Kids sit in windows as Waymo travels through Westside. Witness alerts company; car doesn’t stop
Once again Waymo allows unattended kids to ride in a Waymo, in violation of California law. And rather shocking they did not stop the ride when they knew the kids were acting dangerously.
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?
