Another Waymo clanker completely disrupts a major transit line
Waymo completely blocks a major transit line during rush hour
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Waymo
Waymo is fortunate to have a better reputation than the rest, but their incident rate is still not acceptable…
Read MoreAnother Waymo clanker completely disrupts a major transit line
Business Insider – Best reporting on robotaxis ever
Business Insider provides a truly informative documentary on the current state of robotaxis. Covers everything from cost to safety. But most importantly, it asks if we are even asking the right questions, and whether we should instead be looking at how some cities made their streets much safer ... without any robotaxis at all. A must watch.
Austin American-Statesman – Tesla, Waymo report new Austin crashes as robotaxi operations face increasing scrutiny
Austin American-Statesman reports that both Waymo and Tesla are all crashy-crashy in Austin. Frankly, it is quite amazing that they claim that autonomous vehicles are safe when they get into so many mishaps.
NBC Bay Area – Complaint filed over Waymo allegedly transporting minors alone
NBC Bay Area reports on how rideshare drivers filed a formal complaint with the CPUC alleging that Waymo "has been knowingly violating the conditions of its state permit by transporting unaccompanied minors." This is a known and ongoing problem that Waymo has acknowledged occurs.
NY Times – Trapped! Inside a Self-Driving Car During an Anti-Robot Attack.
NY Times reports on an additional issue with riding in a Waymo robotaxi: one might be the subject of a great deal of hostility.
CBS Austin – Waymo driverless cars stop between railroad and crossing gates
CBS Austin reports on how a Waymo vehicle stopped past crossing gates, and was missed by a train by just a few inches.
CBS Austin – Video captures Waymo driving in wrong lane near MLK and I-35
CBS Austin reports that a Waymo decided to drive in the wrong lane again, against oncoming traffic.
FastCompany – Uncovered records reveal the hidden costs of Waymo robotaxis on San Francisco streets
FastCompany looks at a database of problems the San Francisco transit agency has had with Waymos, and it turns out to be far worse than Waymo lets on to.
SF Standard – Supervisors grill Waymo about 1,500 stalled cars during December blackout
SF Standard reports that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors grilled Waymo on the epic disaster when 1,500 Waymos got stuck during a power outage. Waymo has still not acknowledged that a large part of the problem was that cellular communications completely went down for swaths of San Francisco once the backup batteries for the cell towers ran out of juice. Waymo's only solution for this problem is not talking about.
NTSB report indicates Waymo remote support provided incorrect, unsafe, and illegal driving instructions when a stopped school bus encountered
We already knew that remote operators were involved in driving Waymo "autonomous" vehicles. But this NTSB report provides a concrete example of the remote operator dangerously providing incorrect information, causing the Waymo robotaxi to pass by a stopped school bus. Credit goes to Phil Koopman for calling out this problem.
SF Standard – Robot turtles: Waymo’s next-gen cars could be buggy Hyundai EVs
SF Standard reports that Waymo is planning on switching to Iioniq 5 cars, but those vehicles have been found to be quite unreliable. Not ideal when you are trying to operate a fleet of them, mostly remotely.
KXAN Austin – Waymo seen blocking first responders during West Sixth shooting
Greetings from KXAN Austin where a shooting resulted in 3 deaths, 14 injuries, and ambulances blocked by a Waymo that was probably being "driven" remotely, possibly all the way from the Philippines. And how did the Waymo manage to turn and block off the entire street?
NY Times – New York to Back Away From Robotaxi Pilot Programs Upstate
NY Times reports on how the state of New York is expected to withdraw its proposal for expanding autonomous vehicles outside of New York City. The humans (mostly labor groups and taxi drivers) have spoken!
The Verge – Waymo denies using remote drivers after Senate testimony went viral
The Verge reports that Waymo is still trying to hide that remove drivers in the Philippines are actually controlling the vehicles in some situations.
Washington Post Editorial Board – The long view of self-driving cars
Washington Post Editorial Board publishes absolute nonsense on the safety of autonomous vehicles, in the hopes of minimizing safety regulations. The Washington Post used to be an important newspaper, but clearly no longer.
