robotaxi

10 Stories

As Tesla Bears Down, Waymo Celebrates a Milestone

Company doubles ridership to 10M in 5 months

(Newser) - Waymo has hit a major milestone, surpassing 10 million paid robotaxi rides as it accelerates its expansion across US cities. As competition heats up in the race for driverless dominance, the ride-hailing company under Alphabet says it's taking "the safest path" to bringing autonomous rides to cities...

We May Soon Have 'Highways in the Sky'

'Electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles,' aka flying taxis, are on the horizon

(Newser) - When he was still a boy making long, tedious trips between his school and his mountain home during the '80s, JoeBen Bevirt fantasized about flying cars that could whisk him to his destination in minutes. As CEO of Joby Aviation, Bevirt is getting closer to turning his boyhood dream...

Empty Waymo Robotaxi Can't Escape a Roundabout

It's not the first time self-driving Waymos have gone awry

(Newser) - Last month, the folks at Wired shadowed a Waymo robotaxi for an entire workday to "study its movements, its relationship to life on the streets, its whole self-driving gestalt." It's a good thing they didn't track this recently spotted vehicle, because it would've been a...

GM Gives Up on Robotaxis
GM Gives Up on Robotaxis
Dec 10, 2024 10:22 PM CST

GM Gives Up on Robotaxis

Company says Cruise unit will be folded into its own development team

(Newser) - General Motors said Tuesday it will retreat from the robotaxi business and stop funding its money-losing Cruise autonomous vehicle unit. Instead, the Detroit automaker will focus on development of partially automated driver-assist systems like its Super Cruise, which allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel. GM said...

Tesla's Latest: 'Fall Asleep and Wake Up at Your Destination'

So says Elon Musk as 'robotaxi' is unveiled in Hollywood

(Newser) - It doesn't have a steering wheel or pedals, but Elon Musk has "staked Tesla's future" on his company's new Cybercab, unveiled Thursday evening at a Warner Bros. studio in Hollywood. The company's CEO vowed that the self-driving two-seater "robotaxi," which the New York ...

Wednesday Will Be a Huge Day for Waymo

Company is launching paid robotaxi rides in LA

(Newser) - Wednesday will be a huge day for Waymo, Google's self-driving car spinoff. The company says it will add Los Angeles to the list of cities where it is offering paid robotaxi services. The company, which also offers the service in San Francisco, says it has more than 50,000...

Amid Safety Issues With Self-Driving Cars, CEO of Cruise Resigns

Kyle Vogt steps down after DMV revokes license, GM recalls vehicles

(Newser) - Kyle Vogt has resigned as CEO of Cruise, General Motors' autonomous vehicle unit, as questions build about the safety of self-driving cars, the AP reports. Vogt's decision to step down, announced late Sunday, follows a recent recall of all 950 Cruise vehicles to update software after one of them...

California Suspends Cruise's Driverless Taxis

Robotaxis have become increasingly controversial in the state

(Newser) - After a series of incidents involving Cruise robotaxis, California has decided to halt their operation in the state effective immediately. Cruise is one of two companies (the other is Waymo, owned by Google's parent company) with driverless taxi fleets in California; the suspension order issued by the state's...

SF Officials Say Robotaxis Contributed to Person's Death

Protests followed San Francisco Fire Department's report

(Newser) - Protesters gathered at the San Francisco headquarters of robotaxi company Cruise Monday after claims came out that two of the company's self-driving vehicles contributed to a person's death last month. The San Francisco Fire Department released a report last week regarding the August 14 incident, in which an...

Robotaxis Allowed to Expand Services in San Francisco

State commission gives 2 rival services the green light

(Newser) - California regulators on Thursday approved an expansion that will allow two rival robotaxi services to operate throughout San Francisco at all hours, despite safety worries spurred by recurring problems with unexpected stops and other erratic behavior that resulted in unmanned vehicles blocking traffic, including emergency vehicles. The state's Public...

10 Stories
Most Read on Newser