Oops, I thought Waymos weren’t supposed to interfere with transit.
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.
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Safety
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.
Read MoreOops, I thought Waymos weren’t supposed to interfere with transit.
Reuters – Tesla rejected $60 million settlement before losing $243 million Autopilot verdict
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 – The Tesla Autopilot lawsuit floodgates are open, lawyer who beat Tesla is going for round 2
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 – The lawyer who beat Tesla is ready for ‘round two’
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 – US issues exemption for self-driving Zoox vehicles, closes probe
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 – Tesla, Elon Musk sued by shareholders over Robotaxi claims
Reuters reports that Tesla and Elon Musk are being sued for misrepresenting claims on abilities of Tesla robotaxi system
NY Times – Jury Says Tesla Was Partly to Blame for Fatal Crash
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.
electrek – Tesla tops 2nd Chinese self-driving test, with deadly results from some brands
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 – Tesla’s ability to sell cars in California hangs in the balance after a weeklong ‘high-stakes’ court hearing
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 – Chinese real-world self-driving test: 36 cars, 216 crashes, with Tesla on top
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 – US closes probe into Waymo self-driving collisions, unexpected behavior
Reuters reports that NHTSA has dropped their investigation of multiple Waymo incidences including collisions and traffic violations. No action was taken.
electrek – Tesla puts foot in its mouth: ‘unsupervised self-driving is not solved’, but what about robotaxi?
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 – NHTSA To Cut 25 Percent Of Its Workforce: Report
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 – Tesla Driver Testifies Autopilot Failed to Prevent Fatal Crash
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.
Fortune – ‘Elon is gambling’ — How Tesla is proving doubters right on why its robotaxi service cannot scale
Fortune reports on how Tesla’s robotaxi attempt in Austin is quite weak and will not be able to scale nor make a profit. Oh, and the robotaxi didn't detect crossing arms coming down at a railway crossing. That is quite scary.
