For some reason the obsession with robotaxis persists throughout the world and throughout the transportation industry. The collective conventional wisdom appears to be that getting rid of the human drivers of taxis and letting these vehicles freely operate presumably around the clock will save money and the environment.… Read More
Tag: waymo
Waymo Collides with Transparency
Anyone looking to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to forthrightly assert a path-setting policy vision to guide autonomous vehicle development in the U.S. during his CES 2022 keynote was sorely disappointed. There was no guidance from the Secretary.
The issue has gained new urgency now that Waymo has sued the California… Read More
Autonomous Vehicle Rationale Breaks Down
The latest SmartDrivingCars podcast raised fundamental questions regarding the rationale for developing autonomous cars while debating the various paths to market adoption. The discussion took place between Alain Kornhauser – faculty chair of autonomous vehicle engineering at Princeton University and Adriano Alessandrini,
Bouncing off the Walls – How Real-Time Radar is Accelerating the Development of Autonomous Vehicles
In the race to get people out of the driver’s seat, the developers of autonomous vehicles (AV) and advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) have gone off road and into the virtual world.
Using simulation to design, train and validate the brains behind self-driving cars — the neural networks of sensors and systems that perceive… Read More
Elon Musk’s Aspirational Automation
Tesla Motors kicked off the release of its latest earnings with news of record results and the release of the company’s Full Self Driving beta. Leading up to the earnings, most attention was focused on whether Tesla will meet its original target of 500,000 vehicle shipments this year in spite of the negative impact of the pandemic.
Lyft & Auto Industry Annihilation
The good news is that Lyft’s initial public offering is over-subscribed, according to published reports. That also happens to be the bad news.
Like its disruptive corporate kin – Waymo, Uber, and Tesla Motors – Lyft is out to creatively destroy the automotive industry. In the process, the company is set on a course for its own annihilation… Read More
CES 2019 Robotaxis vs. Micro Transit
Attendees of CES 2019 arriving at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport next week will have four options for getting to their hotels: a shuttle offering two rides for the price of one (out and back for about $15); a taxi offering one ride for the price of two (about $30), a Lyft or Uber offering one ride for the price of one ride (about… Read More
You Cruise You Lose
General Motors has two media magnets in CEO Mary Barra and Cruise Automation founder Kyle Vogt. Barra is praised for boosting GM profitability while streamlining operations and making strategic investments. Vogt, the beneficiary of one of those investments – in his autonomous vehicle technology company – embodies GM’s aspirations… Read More
Musk the Magician and Data Monetizer
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk pulled a rabbit out of his hat last month making thousands of cars vanish and converting reports of production and delivery hell into market leadership for premium sedan deliveries. Following SEC legal action and a podcast where he appeared to be drinking scotch and smoking marijuana and after surrendering… Read More
Forget the Saudis: Apple or Google should acquire Tesla
Steve Jobs wanted to build an electric car as far back as 2008. In 2014, Tim Cook reportedly funded the project. To date, though, Apple has had little to show for it, and the rumors are that its electric vehicle will launch as late as 2025— long after such things become common commodities. Google has already had self-driving electric… Read More