Bloomberg – What Robotaxis Brought San Francisco
In Bloomberg, David Zipper interviews the outgoing director of the SFMTA, Jeffrey Tumlin, on the impact of robotaxis.
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 MoreBloomberg – What Robotaxis Brought San Francisco
LA Times – Los Angeles man trapped in circling Waymo on way to airport says he missed his flight home
Los Angeles Times reports that once again a Waymo got stuck driving around in a loop. It appears that they have completely failed to fix this reoccurring issue.
SF Gate – ‘Fundamentally wrong’: Self-driving Tesla steers Calif. tech founder onto train tracks
SF Gate reports how Jesse Lyu was using Tesla FSD when it drove him right onto some streetcar tracks with a streetcar not to far behind him. And yes, Jesse Lyu ironically is the CEO of Rabbit, the creators of the Rabbit R1, one of the worst reviewed AI gadgets of 2024. Perhaps AI really isn't all there yet, you think?
WSJ – Tesla’s Car Business Isn’t Really in the Driver’s Seat
WSJ reports on how Tesla stock capitalization has been completely disassociated from the business of selling cars. Instead, it is predicated on the myth that they are an AI, robotaxi, and robotics company given that their car sales are actually in decline. Ironically, after this article was published Tesla stock rose over 6%.
SF Chronicle – Why some Bay Area blind people say Waymos are changing their lives
SF Chronicle does Waymo's bidding by publishing a fluff piece promoted by Waymo marketing. it is very inappropriate for Waymo to co-opt people with disabilities to try to get good publicity.
NY Times – Tesla Annual Sales Slip for First Time as Competition Grows
NY Times reports that Tesla sales for the year actually dipped for the first time. And the results for the quarter were worse than analysts expected. The lack of sales is precisely why Elon Musk has promoted a fake pivot to AI, autonomous vehicles, and robots - to keep the stock price high!
TechCrunch – A Waymo robotaxi and a Serve delivery robot collided in Los Angeles
TechCrunch reports that two robots don't make a right. A food delivery robots, apparently crossing against a red light, was struck by a Waymo, even though the Waymo detected it. Apparently robot lives don't matter, as least to Waymos.
Torque News – Progressive Insurance is Penalyzing Cybertruck Owners Who Frequently Drive Using Tesla’s Full-Self-Driving Software – Dings for Hard Braking & Fast Acceleration Result in 51% Premium Increase
Torque News (yes, that is a real publication) reports that FSD on a Cybertruck is so bad that Progressive Insurance has raised insurance premiums for those who use it frequently. This is an independent refutation of Tesla's claim that FSD is better than a human driver.
SF Chronicle – Here’s what happens if you pass out in a Waymo robotaxi on New Year’s Eve
SF Chronicle reports on how Waymo expects to handle the inevitable heavily inebriated passengers.
Washington Post – On roads teeming with robotaxis, crossing the street can be harrowing
Washington Post provides perhaps the most important article on robotaxis in 2024. The reporter demonstrates how Waymo vehicles are not programmed to follow the law and cede right-of-way. Instead, they intentionally mimic human drivers, including bullying pedestrians and not allowing them to cross in crosswalks.
NY Times – Tesla Investors Are Still Bullish. Can Elon Musk Deliver?
NY Times reports details on how Tesla sales are slumping. Meanwhile, many investors still believe the hype that Tesla will succeed as a technology company, with robotaxis and robots. Yet is very questionable whether they will succeed in those endeavors.
Teslarati – Tesla analyst shares pessimistic view of robotaxi fleet
Teslarati reports on how a Tesla analyst doesn't believe in the hype of the Tesla robotaxi fleet since most Tesla owners would not want to share their vehicles in the first place.
MissionLocal – Waymo rolls toward San Francisco Airport. A showdown is brewing.
Mission Local reports on how Waymo is trying to inch towards providing service at SF Airport, which would provide a huge financial bonus to the company.
Washington Post – Robot taxi riders in San Francisco targeted with a new form of harassment
Washington Post reports how robotaxis not having a human driver leads to a large number of scary situations. Apparently their metric of crashes per mile driven is simply not adequate.
TheVerge – NHTSA finally releases new rules for self-driving cars — but there’s a twist
TheVerge reports on how the Federal Government is proposing changing standards for autonomous vehicles, but that they expect a great deal of safety related data in return. At the same time, Tesla is trying to avoid having to provide the government with crash data since they have so many crashes.
