Waymo expands robotaxi operations to Austin

Waymo – the self-driving technology firm under Google-owner Alphabet – is set to launch its Waymo One service in Austin, marking the latest expansion of its robotaxi operations.

Following successful ventures in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, Waymo's move into the Texas capital underscores its ambition to establish itself as a leader in autonomous transportation.

Announced in August 2023, Austin was designated as the fourth city for Waymo One and the company...

6 March 2024 | Applications

San Francisco mob sets fire to Waymo vehicle

An angry mob destroyed a Waymo self-driving taxi in San Francisco on Monday night. The incident occurred around 9pm local time when a group of approximately 20 individuals surrounded the stationary Waymo vehicle.

https://twitter.com/SFFDPIO/status/1756581720399520077

While footage of the event has surfaced online, it remains unclear what prompted the mob to destroy the vehicle. Speculation has arisen following a recent incident involving a Waymo vehicle colliding with a...

12 February 2024 | Connected Vehicles

Cruise is being investigated after robotaxi dragged pedestrian

General Motors’ driverless Cruise division is facing investigations by both the Department of Justice (DoJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) following an October 2023 incident in which a jaywalking pedestrian was struck by an autonomous Cruise vehicle and then dragged 20 feet, exacerbating her injuries.  

The probes come as Cruise itself released findings yesterday regarding the incident, which also involved another vehicle. The company acknowledged it "failed to...

26 January 2024 | Applications

Cruise enhances its robotaxis for safer emergency vehicle interactions

Smart mobility firm Cruise is aiming to improve safety by enhancing how its robotaxis handles interactions with emergency vehicles.

Cruise has amassed a wealth of data of over five million miles of driverless journeys that it uses to demonstrate the capacity of autonomous vehicles to enhance road safety when compared to conventional human driving. However, there are documented cases of autonomous vehicles getting in the way of emergency responders to various...

13 October 2023 | Applications

Cruise is ‘days away’ from Origin robotaxi mass production

General Motors' Factory Zero in Detroit and Hamtramck are on the cusp of mass-producing the Cruise Origin, a driverless vehicle designed to transport up to six passengers.

Cruise is GM's self-driving subsidiary headquartered in San Francisco, which already operates in several cities across the US.

The Cruise Origin is devoid of manual steering controls or pedals and is designed to operate entirely through autonomous technology. However, that’s presented a significant...

8 September 2023 | Connected Vehicles

San Francisco robotaxis get the green light to operate 24/7

Google's Waymo and General Motors' Cruise have both received the green light from California's regulatory body to implement 24/7 fare-based services for fully driverless rides in San Francisco.

The pivotal decision was made by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which voted 3 to 1 in favour of granting the expansion of driverless services for the two tech giants. The CPUC says it meticulously evaluated the companies' adherence to licensing requisites and considered...

11 August 2023 | Connected Vehicles

Waymo announces Austin as its fourth major city

Waymo, the self-driving technology company under Google’s parent company Alphabet, has officially announced Austin as its fourth major ride-hail city.

Austin will be joining the ranks of Metro Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles as Waymo continues to expand and accelerate its business.

Over the past few months, Waymo's team has been conducting extensive testing in and around downtown Austin, utilising their all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles.

The goal of...

4 August 2023 | Connected Vehicles

DiDi is di-veloping its own robotaxis

Chinese ride-hailing company DiDi Global is collaborating with Chinese carmakers to develop robotaxis.

DiDi is developing the robotaxis with multiple car manufacturers, including electric vehicle makers, and is aiming to begin putting them into service by 2025.

The company plans for the new vehicles to be domestically produced, with controllable supply chains and key components that are produced nationally.

A robotaxi concept was showcased by DiDi called Neuron...

14 April 2023 | Connected Vehicles

Amazon’s robotaxis hit the streets of California

Robotaxis from Amazon’s self-driving vehicle biz Zoox are now on the streets of California.

Zoox’s vehicles are purpose-built for autonomous driving and do not feature any manual controls.

The company’s full-time employees are the first to take advantage of the autonomous shuttle service.

Jesse Levinson, Co-Founder and CTO of Zoox, commented:

“Getting to be the world’s first passenger in a robotaxi with no manual controls on open public...

14 February 2023 | Applications

San Francisco officials want the CPUC to slow robotaxi authorisations

San Francisco officials have sent letters to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) expressing their concerns over the pace of robotaxi deployments.

Driverless vehicle giants Cruise and Waymo have significant expansion plans for their respective operations in San Francisco. However, their existing deployments have been causing some problems for the city.

Some of the reported issues have included driverless vehicles stopping in the middle of the road for no...

31 January 2023 | Connected Vehicles