The news media has expended considerable effort researching and publishing information about the robotaxi business. This channel highlights some of the important articles.
TheVerge provides the most in depth coverage of the fall of Cruise. A robotaxi business is currently too expensive and complicated to succeed with financially. The article also appropriately points out that urban transportation advocates see the only true safety solution is fewer cars, not automated ones.
Fortune reports on how GM pulling the plug on Cruise shows just how hard it is for automakers to succeed with robotaxis. Tesla stockholders should take note.
Business Insider reports on how GM is shutting down the Cruise division. But their main point is that the robotaxi business is simply a bad business financially.
elektrek announces that Tesla is losing yet another critical long-term employee. This time it is the head of Autopilot and FSD HW engineering. Why would the head of AV hardware leave Tesla when they are supposedly lsoon to make billions of dollars off of their robotaxi business???
Wall Street Journal reports that, as predicted, Cruise has crashed. It is being shut down. And GM will focus more on development of advanced driver assistance systems, putting autonomy on the back burner.
Reuters reports that Tesla has come to the realization that FSD won't actually be adequate for robotaxis and that teleoperation will be needed. Tesla also explains that originally the robotaxis would be owned by Tesla, not by individuals as described earlier.
Jalopnik reports on a Tesla going out of control on the top deck of a parking garage, speeding over speed bumps, hitting multiple cars, and then flying off the end of the building. Has not yet been ascertained whether the Tesla was in a assisted driving mode at the time. But it sure looks suspect. The passengers survived.
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reports that Aurora has delayed their introduction of robotrucks, and when then do move forward they will only put a paltry 10 semis on the road. This is an incredibly weak start.
Teslarati reports that Tesla faked yet another demo, but the fanboys ate it up as they always do. Once again, Tesla proves itself to not be a tech or AI company, but instead just a colossal grift.
AutoGuide reports that GM has been awarded a patent for having an autonomous vehicle respond to "adversarial behavior". It appears they really didn't like their Cruise vehicles getting traffic cones placed on them.
1) Tesla is acknowledging they cannot create level-5 autonomy and that instead teleoperation needs to be used; 2) they currently do not have teleoperation infrastructure; and 3) they don't seem to understand that one cannot remotely drive a vehicle, but instead can only give instructions, as Waymo does.
