Uber and Lyft have long argued that ride-hailing apps have the potential to make cities better by easing traffic and reducing personal car ownership. And every time a study emerges that counters that narrative by exposing ride-hailing’s worsening effects on congestion, the two companies respond by casting doubt on the studies’ findings. Well, this time… Continue reading Uber and Lyft finally admit they’re making traffic congestion worse in cities
Tag: Lyft
Autonomous driving and the issue of willingness to pay
Depending on the form in which the autonomous driving comes on the road, depending on the cost will be. So suppose the vehicles were technically so far and could be approved. What would that look like? The business models for the autonomous driving are still being developed. The question is whether it as well private… Continue reading Autonomous driving and the issue of willingness to pay
An autonomous robot EV charger is coming to San Francisco
Electrify America will pilot the tech designed for fleets Kirsten Korosec 7 hours Electric-vehicle chargers today are designed for human drivers. Electrify America and San Francisco-based startup Stable are preparing for the day when humans are no longer behind the wheel. Electrify America, the entity set up by Volkswagen as part of its settlement with… Continue reading An autonomous robot EV charger is coming to San Francisco
Lyft pulls e-bikes in light of apparent battery fires
Lyft is pulling its e-bikes from the streets of San Francisco, as well as from those in the South Bay Area in light of two recently catching on fire. The first reported fire took place over the weekend, with the second one happening today, according to the San Francisco Examiner. “Out of an abundance of caution,… Continue reading Lyft pulls e-bikes in light of apparent battery fires
Avis enlists Israeli startup to turn rental car data into cash
(Reuters) – Avis Budget Group Inc has enlisted an Israeli startup to help turn data from its car rental fleet into cash, as more auto industry players look to tap a potential $750 billion market for vehicle information. The U.S. car rental company, which owns the Avis, Budget and Zipcar brands, is linking its global… Continue reading Avis enlists Israeli startup to turn rental car data into cash
GM Cruise delays the launch of autonomous ride-share, adds to test fleet
General Motors Cruise test vehiclesSource: General MotorsCruise, the subsidiary of General Motors developing self-driving vehicles and services, said Wednesday it is postponing a plan to launch an autonomous ride-share service by the end of 2019.
It is the latest indication automakers and tech firms are finding it tougher than expected to put self-driving cars on the roads for public use.
Cruise CEO Dan Ammann announced the delay in launching an autonomous ride-share program through a post on Medium. “Our first deployment needs to be done right and we will only deploy when we can demonstrate that we will have a net positive impact on safety on our roads,” he said. The company has tabbed San Francisco as the location for the service when it eventually starts.
Before that happens, Cruise will be put more test vehicles on the road in San Francisco to better understand and solve the challenges of navigating busy city streets. Right now, Cruise has a fleet of 180 specially designed all-electric GM cars, modified with lidar sensors, cameras and radar logging thousands of miles every day, all with a safety driver ready to take control of the car if a complex or dangerous situation arises.
Since late 2017, Ammann and General Motors have said they plan to have an autonomous ride-share service on the road by the end of 2019. That optimism is one reason why the Softbank Vision Fund, Honda and others have invested more than $7.25 billion into Cruise, pushing its valuation to $19 billion last May, according to company figures.
The appeal of robotaxis is the potential to generate large profits by eliminating the driver, the biggest cost facing Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing companies. In previous briefings with reporters, Cruise has estimated the cost to operate an autonomous ride-share program in San Francisco could be as low as $1.50 per mile, 40% below the cost of similar services operated by a human driver.
While investors may be optimistic about the potential profits of robotaxis driving passengers around a city, those who track the industry are not surprised Cruise is tapping the brakes on its plans. “The closer you get to ground zero and putting an autonomous vehicle or vehicles on the road, the difference between where the technology is now and where it needs to be cannot be ignored,” said Mike Ramsey, automotive analyst for Gartner Research. “The right thing to do is to not put a product out on the road too soon.”
Late last year, Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous vehicle division, launched its own commercial ride-share service in metropolitan Phoenix. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised to have “a million robotaxis” on the road by the end of 2020, capitalizing on Tesla's autopilot technology.
“I feel very confident predicting autonomous robotaxis for Tesla next year,” Musk told analysts in May. He later admitted his timing for plans is sometimes wrong.
For Cruise, the focus now is expanding the number of miles its test fleet is driving.
“Having our cars running many more miles on the road will further accelerate our rate of learning and safety validation,” said Ammann. “It will also give us crucial operational learnings from running a larger scale fleet and a larger scale ride service, which we currently operate for our employees.”
Report: Lyft COO Jon McNeill is leaving
Shortly after going public, Lyft is losing one of its top executives, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Jon McNeill, who joined the ride-hailing business from Tesla about 18 months ago, is reportedly stepping down. Lyft declined to comment. Lyft’s stock (Nasdaq: LYFT) is down nearly 3% on the news. Despite a turbulent first… Continue reading Report: Lyft COO Jon McNeill is leaving
SoftBank pumps $2B into Indonesia through Grab investment, putting it head to head with Gojek
Grab — the on-demand transportation app worth $14 billion that is the Uber of Southeast Asia — today announced how it would be using some of the $7 billion or so that it has raised to date: $2 billion provided by SoftBank is being earmarked Grab’s operations in Indonesia — the biggest economy in Southeast… Continue reading SoftBank pumps $2B into Indonesia through Grab investment, putting it head to head with Gojek
How top VCs view the new future of micromobility
Earlier this month, TechCrunch held its annual Mobility Sessions event, where leading mobility-focused auto companies, startups, executives and thought leaders joined us to discuss all things autonomous vehicle technology, micromobility and electric vehicles. Extra Crunch is offering members access to full transcripts key panels and conversations from the event, including our panel on micromobility where… Continue reading How top VCs view the new future of micromobility
Lyft poaches Bird’s head of vehicle product
Shared electric bike and scooter services are constantly at war with each other — whether it’s battling for an operating permit in a highly coveted market, raising a massive round of funding or making a key hire. Today, the war continues with Lyft’s recent hiring of Eugene Kwak, Bird’s now-former head of vehicle product. Kwak’s… Continue reading Lyft poaches Bird’s head of vehicle product