Tag: Waymo/Google

Waze upgrades carpooling service to let drivers take multiple passengers

Google-owned navigation app Waze now lets drivers pick up more than one passenger at a time when using the app’s carpooling feature. VentureBeat notes that Waze now supports picking up a maximum of four passengers, which you can do by tapping the “+” icon after confirming an initial ride. The new feature will allow drivers… Continue reading Waze upgrades carpooling service to let drivers take multiple passengers

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.”

How parking app SpotHero is preparing for an era of driverless cars

On-demand parking app SpotHero wants to be ready for the day when autonomous vehicles are ubiquitous. Its strategy: target the human-driven car-sharing fleets today. The Chicago-based company, which has operations in San Francisco, New York, Washington, D.C. and Seattle, has launched a new service dubbed SpotHero for Fleets that targets shared mobility and on-demand services.… Continue reading How parking app SpotHero is preparing for an era of driverless cars

Gatik’s self-driving vans have started shuttling groceries for Walmart

Gatik AI, the autonomous vehicle startup that’s aiming for the sweet middle spot in the world of logistics, is officially on the road through a partnership with Walmart. The company received approval from the Arkansas Highway Commissioner’s office to launch a commercial service with Walmart. Gatik’s autonomous vehicles (with a human safety driver behind the… Continue reading Gatik’s self-driving vans have started shuttling groceries for Walmart

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

Waymo and DeepMind mimic evolution to develop a new, better way to train self-driving AI

Alphabet’s autonomous driving and robotaxi company Waymo does a lot of training in order to refine and improve the artificial intelligence that powers its self-driving software. Recently, it teamed up with fellow Alphabet company and AI specialist DeepMind to develop new training methods that would help make its training better and more efficient. The two… Continue reading Waymo and DeepMind mimic evolution to develop a new, better way to train self-driving AI

GM’s Cruise autonomous car company postpones self-driving taxi launch

General Motors-controlled Cruise is delaying the rollout of a commercial self-driving taxi service that it previously said would start in 2019.The autonomous tech firm has mainly been testing vehicles on public streets in San Francisco, where it also shuttles employees in Chevrolet Bolt electric cars outfitted with cameras, Lidar and radar systems that are manufactured under the Cruise brand name.Cruise is in a race against several self-driving efforts, including Ford and VW-run Argo AI’s ride-hailing and delivery service scheduled for 2021, and Waymo.

Thursday Morning Auto News, Jul 25, 2019

‘Not a lot to like’ – Analysts pan Tesla as the shares are slammed on poor results – CNBC: “We continue to believe Tesla is fundamentally overvalued but strategically undervalued,” Morgan Stanley said. “Overall, we doubt this quarter will …
Tesla Tech Chief’s Exit Is Latest High-Profile Departure – Wall Street Journal: In January, Tesla surprised investors when it announced during another earnings … Mr. Straubel outlasted Martin Eberhard, another founder of Tesla.
Tata Motors posts wider quarterly loss on weak JLR sales – Nikkei:
Diesel Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup blows past Ford F-150, Ram in mpg – Freep: “Any consumer looking for a fuel-efficient, powerful option can find one in the diesel option of America’s favorite vehicle, the pickup truck,” Diesel …
Eight Months After Ghosn’s Exit, Nissan Remains Stuck in a Rut – Bloomberg: A weaker Nissan means less clout for the carmaker in its alliance with … Saddled by aging car models such as the Juke and Murano, Nissan sold 6% …

Four automakers, California strike compromise on vehicle emissions – Reuters: Ford Motor Co, BMW AG, Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) and Honda Motor Co said on Thursday they have reached a …
Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: 3M, Comcast, Raytheon, Southwest, Tesla & more – CNBC: Names on the move ahead of the open.
Jaguar Land Rover posts £395 million loss due to falling sales – Autocar: Jaguar Land Rover recorded a £395 million loss in the last three months, due to declining sales and the impact of a planned Brexit shutdown – but …
VW Q2 operating profit rises 30% as utility vehicle push pays off – Automotive News: VW expects vehicle deliveries in 2019 to exceed last year’s figure and for revenues in the passenger cars and commercial vehicles divisions to grow at least 5 percent.
ABB cautions on China as robotics sales flag – Reuters: ABB Ltd (ABBN. … Demand for cars in Europe is 3.1% down in the year to date while Mercedes maker Daimler this week also …
DiDi, Toyota to set up JV for smart fleet management – Xinhuanet: The two parties announced collaboration on the e-Palette, a self-driving modular store in January 2018, and have piloted vehicle-related services for …
Tata Motors first-quarter loss nearly doubles – Reuters: Tata Motors Ltd reported a bigger quarterly loss on Thursday, as a slump in demand for cars continued at home, while plant shutdowns and delays resulting from issues arising due to Britain’s planned exit from the European Union also hurt earnings.
Earnings tumble at automakers, but VW defies the gloom – Reuters: More evidence has emerged of tough times for the auto sector following weak numbers at Ford, Nissan and Tesla. But Volkswagen is defying the …
Alphabet’s Sales Under Microscope After Last Quarter’s Debacle – Bloomberg: … year and updates on progress in hardware and Other Bets, which includes its self-driving car unit Waymo, according to UBS analyst Eric Sheridan.
The Little Hybrid That Could, and Still Can – New York Times: When Honda introduced the first hybrid vehicle in America, the 2000 Insight, there was technological wonder, but few would call …
Aston Martin Bear Says It Needs to Raise a Billion Pounds to Catch Up With Ferrari – Bloomberg: The only analyst with a sell rating on Aston Martin Lagonda shares says the luxury carmaker will need to raise at least a billion pounds ($1.25 billion) in *fresh* …
Aston Martin fails to sell Vanquish’s tooling, design drawings – Automotive News: Aston Martin has written off 19 million pounds ($24 million) after the sale of the tooling and design drawings of the automaker’s Vanquish …
China exports gasoline to Mexico, Nigeria amid overflowing output – Reuters: … confidence as the trade war continues, reflected also in slumping car sales, said … Gasoline demand growth is also sliding as Chinese automobile sales, … (GRAPHIC: China’s auto sales in 12 months decline – tmsnrt.rs/2MlLS4b).
India’s auto parts makers warn of 1 million job cuts if slowdown continues – Reuters: India’s auto parts industry could be forced to slash a fifth of its 5 million or so workforce if the slowdown in vehicle sales …
Nissan will cut 12500 jobs as Q1 profit nearly wiped out – Automotive News: Nissan said it is axing 12,500 jobs after reporting its quarterly profit was nearly wiped out, hurt by an aging product lineup and a slide in …
Volkswagen to boost SUV sales to 40% of total by 2020 – Reuters: Volkswagen expects the proportion of sports utility vehicle sales to rise to 40% by 2020, from 25% last year, Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter said on …
Nissan to cut 12,500 jobs, more than double initial plan – Nikkei:
Nissan Earnings Sees 99% Profit Plunge – Bloomberg: Nissan reports a 99% plunge in first-fiscal quarter operating profit. Bloomberg’s Dani Burger reports on “Bloomberg Markets: European Open.” (Source: …
Nissan to Cut 12500 Jobs as It Struggles After Ghosn’s Arrest – Wall Street Journal: Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa is cutting costs as he seeks to … On Thursday, Nissan said it planned to cut global production capacity by 10% …
Nissan to cut 12,500 jobs as first-quarter profit nearly wiped out – Reuters: Nissan Motor Co said on Thursday it would slash 12,500 jobs globally by 2022 and cut output to rein in costs as it suffers from sluggish sales and rising costs and tries to recover from a scandal surrounding ousted Chairman Carlos Ghosn.
Volkswagen Has ‘Strong Foundation,’ CFO Says – Bloomberg: Volkswagen AG Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter talks about the automaker’s financial results and business outlook. Volkswagen’s second-quarter operating …
Toyota Invests $600 Million in Chinese Ride-Hailing Giant Didi – Bloomberg: Their partnership builds on an alliance Didi started last year with a coterie of carmakers including China FAW Group, Dongfeng Motor Group and …
Nissan’s Ignoring the Rot at Home – Washington Post: If you’re looking for a metaphor for how politics has swamped decision-making at Nissan Motor Co., look no further than reported plans to restructure …
Volkswagen first-half operating profit up 10% on higher Volkswagen, Porsche sales – Reuters: Volkswagen Group (VOWG_p.DE) on Thursday said its first half operating profit rose 10.3% to 9 billion euros ($10.02 billion), …
Toyota says to invest $600 million in China’s Didi, new joint venture – Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday it will invest $600 million ( £481 million ) in Didi Chuxing and a new joint venture, as part of an agreement to expand …
As Tesla losses continue, Musk points to global growth – Automotive News: Tesla CEO Elon Musk, after reporting a surprisingly large loss in the second quarter, pointed toward an eventual, if delayed, return to profitability and …
Tesla Breaks Records But Doesn’t Break Even – Bloomberg: Just before the Q&A portion of Wednesday evening’s second-quarter call, CEO Elon Musk announced that JB Straubel, the company’s veteran chief …
SpaceX stops test of Starship prototype rocket during surprise livestream – CNBC: SpaceX was attempting to fly its “Starship” prototype rocket in its first short flight of more than a few feet off the ground on Wednesday.
Space jam? Companies risk clutter, conflict in race for the skies – Reuters: Aerospace companies such as Musk’s SpaceX and Bezos’ Blue Origin are aiming to become the first private firm to launch a human into space.

Related

Postmates’ self-driving delivery rover will see with Ouster’s lidar

Postmates’ cooler-inspired autonomous delivery robot, which will roll out commercially in Los Angeles later this year, will rely on lidar sensors from Ouster, a burgeoning two-year-old startup that recently raised $60 million in equity and debt funding. Postmates unveiled the first generation of its self-described “autonomous rover” — known as Serve — late last year.… Continue reading Postmates’ self-driving delivery rover will see with Ouster’s lidar