Government sources of information
There are several very useful sources of information on robotaxis from government agencies: San Francisco City DMV and CPUC NHTSA
Robotaxi.rodeo
Are robotaxis the future? Or now in the past?
Robotaxi.rodeo
Are robotaxis the future? Or now in the past?
Waymo
Waymo is fortunate to have a better reputation than the rest, but their incident rate is still not acceptable…
Read MoreGovernment sources of information
NPR – Driverless car startup Cruise’s no good, terrible year
Article from NPR.org by Dara Kerr on what a horrible, and self inflicted year, 2023 was for Cruise. Also covers how the problems of Cruise might also effect Waymo.
Read MoreNPR – Driverless car startup Cruise’s no good, terrible year
Waymo providing truly accessible service, for now
Waymo appears to be trying to provide appropriate service for those with disabilities. They provide a genuine human driver and a true accessible vehicle. Service animals of course welcomed.
Read MoreWaymo providing truly accessible service, for now
SF Examiner – Why 2023 was a such bumpy ride for self-driving cars in The City
Article from SF Examiner by Greg Wong on what a crazy and busy year it was for Cruise and Waymo. A very useful and complete timeline of what happened during 2023, and when.
Read MoreSF Examiner – Why 2023 was a such bumpy ride for self-driving cars in The City
“Cone” reaches meme orbit
The lowly cone has become a cultural phenomenon, and we have the pics…
Read More“Cone” reaches meme orbit
Barrons – The EV Stock Bubble Has Popped. This One [robotaxis] Is Over, Too.
Article from Barrons on how the self-driving car market was an overhyped bubble. That bubble has now popped, as seen by combined market cap of five self-driving vehicle start-ups dropping by a whopping 95%.
Read MoreBarrons – The EV Stock Bubble Has Popped. This One [robotaxis] Is Over, Too.
Curbed – A Postcard From Driverless San Francisco
Article from Curbed. Interesting because describes what taking a robotaxi is really like, and how it turns out to not be that useful, especially given how slow they can be.
Read MoreCurbed – A Postcard From Driverless San Francisco
SF Standard – Cruise Hired a Lobbyist Close to Newsom. Then a Crash Changed Everything
Article from the SF Standard by Josh Koehn. Covers how not only did Cruise and Waymo report spending $2.3m to lobby state and local politicians to allow them to use our roads as a testing ground, but Cruise did not report hiring Axiom Advisors, close partners with Governor Newsom, until after key CPUC hearing.
Read MoreSF Standard – Cruise Hired a Lobbyist Close to Newsom. Then a Crash Changed Everything 
The Lever – The Lobbying Surge Behind San Francisco’s Robo-Taxi Mayhem
Driverless taxi companies Cruise and Waymo wined and dined officials and landed a plum regulatory appointment before they scored free rein on San Francisco’s streets. See full original article on The Lever by Freddy Brewster. In the lead-up to California regulators voting earlier this month to allow driverless taxis to…
SF Standard – Here’s How Much Robotaxi Companies Spent to Influence California Regulators
Article from SF Standard by Josh Koehn. Goes in depth about the lobbyists who are used to sway the regulators and the politicians. $2.3 million!
Read MoreSF Standard – Here’s How Much Robotaxi Companies Spent to Influence California Regulators
San Francisco seeks reprieve from CPUC decision allowing unfettered autonomous vehicle expansion
San Francisco officials, led by City Attorney David Chiu, have filed a motion to halt the CPUC's decision allowing unchecked expansion of commercial autonomous vehicles (AVs) by Cruise and Waymo. Citing public safety concerns and numerous incidents where AVs interfered with emergency services, the city is seeking a stay while challenging the decision's lack of consideration for safety and environmental impacts in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act.
Read MoreSan Francisco seeks reprieve from CPUC decision allowing unfettered autonomous vehicle expansion
SF Chronicle – Robotaxis are good for disabled people, advocates say. But are wheelchair users being thrown under the (autonomous) bus?
Article from SF Chronicle by Soleil Ho. Covers how Cruise and Waymo actively lobbied and funded disability organizations to get support for robotaxis. But it appears this was just a cynical ploy.
Read MoreSF Chronicle – Robotaxis are good for disabled people, advocates say. But are wheelchair users being thrown under the (autonomous) bus?
Stopping robotaxis with traffic cones
An interview with Safe Street Rebel about halting the expansion of Waymo and Cruise in San Francisco. This article is from Paris Marxs’ blog at https://disconnect.blog, where you can also find many other articles on the perils of technologies like robotaxis, and the technologists who foist them on our society.
Read MoreStopping robotaxis with traffic cones
ABC 7 News – Journalist documents wild ride inside Waymo self-driving car in SF
ABC 7 reporter goes on a wild ride in a Waymo. It stops at a green light on a busy road. Then gets lost and tries to drop off passenger 5 minutes away from their destination. The subsequent try was no better. The journalist wishes that there was a driver to talk to in order to actually get to where they wanted to go.
Read MoreABC 7 News – Journalist documents wild ride inside Waymo self-driving car in SF
TechCrunch – Waymo retires its self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivan
Useful history on Waymo vehicles
Read MoreTechCrunch – Waymo retires its self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivan