Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
All the robotaxi companies claim that their safety is much better than obsolete human drivers. But are they really safer given that they seem to crash so often? This clearly needs to be investigated further.
Susan Vaughan reports in 48hills that SF Mayor Lurie is both gutting transit and subverting the political process in trying to bring Waymos, Ubers, and Lyfts to car-free Market Street.
A short video clip showing how on 8/30/25 a Waymo clanker and a Muni bus got into an altercation. And it was due to poor driving ability of the Waymo.
Reuters reports that Tesla could have settled their previous lawsuit for $60 million but insisted on fighting it which resulted in a much larger settlement of $243 million. Whoops!
electrek reports on how Tesla not lost the most recent trial to a tune of $243 million but they also tried to hide relevant data. They will likely fare even worse in the upcoming trial in California.
The Verge interviews the lawyer behind the $243 million award and discusses how this is just the start of a morass of legal problems for Tesla.
Reuters reports that the NHTSA has certified Zoox robotaxi vehicles for demonstration use even though they do not have driving controls and therefore do not meet federal safety requirements.
Reuters reports that Tesla and Elon Musk are being sued for misrepresenting claims on abilities of Tesla robotaxi system
NY Times reports that Tesla Autopilot was flawed and that Tesla bore 1/3 responsibility in the death of Naibel Benavides. Tesla will be required to pay $243 million in punitive and compensatory damages to the parents of the woman and to her boyfriend.
eelectrek reports on a 2nd AV test done in China, this one in an urban setting. Key conclusion is that none of the autonomous driving systems are ready for prime time.
Business Insider reports that the court hearing is over on whether Tesla can continue to sell cars in California. It will be very interesting to see what decision will be made.
electrek reports that real-world testing was done on multiple autonomous vehicles. The results were quite awful, in fact so bad the Tesla had the best rating.
Reuters reports that NHTSA has dropped their investigation of multiple Waymo incidences including collisions and traffic violations. No action was taken.
electrek reports that Tesla admits that even though it is running robotaxis in Austin (with both teleoperation and a safety driver on board) they still have not solved self driving.
GM Authority reports that NHTSA staffing is being cut by 25%. This will of course affect the ability of NHTSA to foster safety.
NY Times reports on an update on the current Tesla Autopilot court case. The driver testifies that Autopilot failed to do what was expected, to prevent a fatal crash.
