Are robotaxis the future? Or now in the past?
Are robotaxis the future? Or now in the past?
The news media has expended considerable effort researching and publishing information about the robotaxi business. This channel highlights some of the important articles.
Article from the Verge by Andrew J. Hawkins on why we don't have the autonomous vehicles we were promised. The excellent article presents not only the history of the development of autonomous vehicles, but also why it has taken so long, why the predictions have been so far off (especially with Tesla), and why so much money has been thrown at the technology.
It has been in the news that Elon Musk's $56B pay package was recently voided, because of a lawsuit by some heavy metal drummer. This of course merits a full explanation of what the heck happened, and a viewing of a video of the $56B drummer in action. He is very worthy!
False excitement on autonomous vehicles by showing that testing by Apple had tripled. The article is misleading since the reason the increase in testing miles was a factor of three was because Apple had previously done so little testing.
A discussion between David Zipper and California State Senator Scott Wiener on new legislation to mandate speed regulators on new vehicles. Explains the details on why mandating this simple and already existing technology would greatly improve safety on our roads. Also covers rebuttals to common arguments used against making this safety improvement.
Aptiv is scaling back involvement in its self-driving joint venture Motional, halting further funding and reducing its stake after heavy losses. The move mirrors industry peers like GM and Ford, who face challenges in developing autonomous driving.
General Motors is slashing Cruise's 2024 budget by $1 billion despite a commitment to its robotaxi venture. Following an accident resulting in investigations, GM seeks to refocus Cruise, now enduring a $2.7 billion loss and restructuring. CEO Barra emphasizes safety and talent retention, as expansion plans are paused.
An investigation by Quinn Emanuel law firm into an October crash involving a Cruise driverless car revealed a lack of clear communication with regulators and prioritization of reputation over safety. Following the incident, the Justice Department and other agencies are investigating, Cruise has halted operations, laid off staff, and replaced its CEO. The self-driving subsidiary of General Motors is now seeking to rebuild trust and resume business..
In a blog post, Cruise published the detailed Quinn Emanuel report on the October 2nd crash where a pedestrian was struck by a Cruise AV after a hit-and-run incident. Despite Cruise's claim of no intentional deceit, the report uncovers procedural and leadership shortcomings, leading to misinformation and incomplete disclosures to regulators and the media. This resulted in the suspension of Cruise's driverless permits. Changes including high-level employee departures and operational overhauls are being implemented.
The DOJ and SEC are investigating Cruise, a GM-owned autonomous car company, following an incident in October where a car hit and dragged a pedestrian. This comes after the California DMV suspended Cruise's permits. The company, which paused its driverless testing, is cooperating with authorities and released a report on the crash.
On December 11th 2023 San Francisco sued California's Public Utilities Commission to limit robotaxis, following safety incidents with autonomous vehicles (AVs) like those from Cruise and Waymo. The suit seeks to review and revoke permits that allowed unchecked expansion and demands better safety measures and regulations. Although Cruise lost its permits, Waymo, expanding to LA, remains affected. Waymo has challenged the city's appeal, emphasizing its commitment to safe operations.
San Francisco is suing a state commission for letting autonomous vehicle companies, like Waymo and GM's Cruise, operate without strict regulation, following numerous safety incidents. The city's action reflects growing concerns over self-driving cars, which were initially welcomed. The legal challenge aims to compel more rigorous safety standards and reporting for these vehicles, amidst fears they're compromising public safety and disrupting emergency services. Waymo remains operational, while Cruise lost its permit after a crash.
Robotaxi companies face multiple challenges in 2023, including rebuilding public trust after accidents and proving their profitability against conventional ride services. In San Francisco, Cruise's accident and workforce cuts highlighted industry risks, while Waymo expands cautiously. Despite high costs and regulatory hurdles, robotaxis operate in select US and Chinese cities. Europe lags, focusing on mass transit. The industry wrestles with safety transparency and pressure to reduce costs, striving to remain viable amidst rapid technological and competitive landscapes.
Elon Musk claims Tesla's FSD Beta v12 update brings a shift to end-to-end neural networks, replacing vast lines of explicit code. If successful, the AI-driven system may fulfill longstanding self-driving promises. Skeptics anticipate rollout issues, as prior updates have been unpredictable. The v12 is now rolling out to select early beta testers, with Tesla's credibility in FSD on the line.
Waymo is poised to enter Los Angeles as it seeks CPUC approval to extend its autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One, while simultaneously collaborating with local stakeholders. Amidst previous expansions and 24-hour operations in San Francisco, competitor Cruise faces setbacks following an accident and permit revocation, highlighting Waymo's leading position in the race for driverless market dominance as noted by Dan O’Dowd, a critic of Tesla's FSD.
Article on food delivery robots based on FOIA info. Key issue is how the publicity has been so carefully stage managed by the robot companies.
