/ After a six hour hearing, the California Public Utilities Commission voted to open the floodgate to autonomous vehicles. Public comment was sharply divided. By Andrew J. Hawkins, transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City &… Continue reading Robotaxis get the green light to expand to 24/7 service in San Francisco
Tag: Waymo/Google
California agency to vote on San Francisco robotaxi expansion amid heavy opposition
The CPUC on Tuesday heard testimony from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency that it had logged close to 600 incidents involving autonomous vehicles since spring of 2022 and that they believe that is “a fraction” of the total due to what they say are lax reporting requirements. Amid strenuous pushback from San Francisco officials… Continue reading California agency to vote on San Francisco robotaxi expansion amid heavy opposition
Making green transportation accessible to all
We all make choices every day that affect the climate, but one of the biggest is how we get around. As a zero-emission ride-hailing service, Waymo One can make that decision easy. In California, transportation accounts for about half the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, when you include fuel production. Cities across the country have set… Continue reading Making green transportation accessible to all
San Francisco Officials Hesitant to Expand Driverless Car Services
Over the past year or so, a jarring sight has become common in San Francisco: driverless cars buzzing around the city’s streets with no one at the wheel and an expensive array of electronic sensors guiding the way. But a plan by two companies to expand driverless taxi services in San Francisco has met stiff… Continue reading San Francisco Officials Hesitant to Expand Driverless Car Services
California regulators to decide the future of Cruise and Waymo
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is scheduled Thursday to make a high-stakes vote that will determine the commercial future for autonomous vehicle technology companies Cruise and Waymo — not to mention any other AV company with aspirations to launch commercial robotaxi services in the state. Cruise and Waymo already offer limited commercial services in… Continue reading California regulators to decide the future of Cruise and Waymo
The California Public Utilities Commission Must Reject Robotaxi Expansion, Says Consumer Watchdog
The regulator is not getting the full picture of incidents that are gridlocking San Francisco. After losing over $1 billion during the first two quarters, GM Cruise is facing immense financial pressure to gain swift regulatory approval. LOS ANGELES, Aug. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Ahead of the August 10 vote by the California Public Utilities Commission… Continue reading The California Public Utilities Commission Must Reject Robotaxi Expansion, Says Consumer Watchdog
Cruise inches into Waymo’s territory in the Phoenix area
Cruise, the self-driving subsidiary of General Motors, has expanded its robotaxi radius in the Phoenix area by 20x as it seeks to compete with Alphabet-owned Waymo in its home court. Cruise soft-launched its robotaxi service in Chandler, a city southeast of Phoenix, in December 2022. The expanded arena will now include Tempe and Scottsdale, according… Continue reading Cruise inches into Waymo’s territory in the Phoenix area
The Waymo Driver’s Rapid Learning Curve
Imagine if you could automatically learn from the driving experiences of others on the road, absorbing knowledge about all the complicated scenarios they’ve encountered. The Waymo Driver covers tens of thousands of miles — equivalent to a lifetime of human driving experience — in a matter of days; in simulation, it does so in minutes.… Continue reading The Waymo Driver’s Rapid Learning Curve
Austin gets Waymo robotic taxis
Austin will be Waymo’s fourth major ride-hail city, alongside Metro Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles, as Waymo continues to expand. In the last few months it has Waymo team Tests made in the city center. The electric ones were used Jaguar I-PACE vehicles with the Waymo Driver. The goal is to familiarize yourself with… Continue reading Austin gets Waymo robotic taxis
Waymo is bringing its robotaxi service to Austin
Waymo plans to launch a robotaxi service in Austin — putting the company once again in direct competition with rival Cruise. Austin will be the company’s fourth commercial market following Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The company will kick off the initial phase of its operations in the city this fall; the ride-hailing service… Continue reading Waymo is bringing its robotaxi service to Austin