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☆ Waymo self-driving cars are delivering Uber Eats orders for first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Alex Koller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Two Waymo autonomous vehicles drive themselves down Central Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., March 18, 2024. For Uber Eats, Phoenix is the seventh site with autonomous deliveries, but the first location where the delivery app will use Waymo's vehicles. Uber Eats has already teamed up with robotics companies Cartken, Motional, Nuro and Serve Robotics to pilot autonomous deliveries in other markets . Uber Eats customers may start receiving orders delivered by a Waymo self-driving car for the first time in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Uber Eats users in areas serviced by Waymo can opt to have their items delivered by a courier.

Persons: Uber Organizations: Robotics, Waymo, CNBC, PACE Locations: Phoenix , Arizona, U.S, Phoenix, Arizona, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Los Angeles, San Francisco

☆ Uber Eats to begin self-driving robot deliveries in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Alex Koller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Uber announced Tuesday that its Uber Eats business is partnering with Mitsubishi Electric and delivery robotics company Cartken to begin transporting food using self-driving robots in Japan. The sidewalk robot deliveries are set to start by the end of March in a select area of Tokyo, according to the companies. Uber Eats said Japan will be the first international site of its autonomous delivery operations, which have so far been limited to a few cities in the United States. The news out of Japan marks the latest joint effort by Uber Eats and Cartken, which already offer sidewalk robot deliveries in Miami and in Fairfax, Virginia. Uber Eats has also partnered with robotics companies Motional, Nuro and Serve Robotics to pilot autonomous deliveries in other U.S. cities.

Persons: Uber, Uber Eats, Cartken, Anjali Jindal Naik, Cartken's Organizations: Mitsubishi Electric, Google, Robotics Locations: Japan, Tokyo, United States, Oakland , California, Miami, Fairfax , Virginia, U.S

☆ A San Francisco Lyft driver explains how Waymo's self-driving taxis have made driving even more competitive
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

A San Francisco-based Lyft driver said Waymo's self-driving taxis have made the job more competitive. And it is getting harder every day.”AdvertisementMore drivers, ride challenges, and self-driving taxis make ride-hailing competitiveA self-driving Waymo car in San Francisco. Lyft has a self-driving partnership with the riderless technology company Motional in Las Vegas, which has led to the completion of over 100,000 self-driving Lyft trips. In October, San Francisco banned Cruise from operating in San Francisco after it failed to disclose video footage of a woman being pinned under one of its vehicles. The company told BI it has a couple hundred self-driving taxis in its San Francisco fleet.

Persons: —, Nick Boenzi, San Francisco — Boenzi, Boenzi, He’d, ”, Lyft, Uber, Lyft’s, Cruise, Waymo, he’s, he’ll Organizations: Service, San Francisco International Airport, Getty, BI, who’ve, General Motors, California Public Utilities Commission, San, Lyft Locations: Francisco, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Cruise

☆ People think self-driving cars should be 'better' than human drivers, executive says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementMany people think self-driving cars should be better than human drivers, an industry executive said. "There's a difference between an accident caused by a human driver, and an accident caused by an autonomous system," said Majors. Advertisement"I think that the expectation is that they have to be a lot better than a human driver, because when there is an accident and the computer's involved, there's less empathy or understanding." Majors said that Motional, a Hyundai-Aptiv joint venture developing autonomous technology, had operated more than 2 million miles autonomously with no at-fault crashes. Cruise, which was trialing "robotaxi" services that ferried passengers around San Francisco without a human driver, was forced to recall its entire fleet late last year.

Persons: Laura Majors, Motional, Cruise, —, Majors, Tesla, Elon Musk's, Robert Falck, " Falck Organizations: Hyundai, Tesla, Service, Economic, GM, Einride, Business Locations: San Francisco, Davos, Cruise, California

Rafaela Vasquez was watching television on her smartphone in March 2018 when the Uber self-driving vehicle fatally struck Elaine Herzberg, 49, who was crossing a road in Tempe, Arizona, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. The Uber-employed safety driver behind the wheel of the car was meant to monitor the car’s performance and intervene if the autonomous driving software failed, as previously reported by CNN. But the National Transportation Safety Board’s 2019 investigation found that Vasquez was looking away from the road for over a third of the trip. The board concluded that the crash was “avoidable” if the safety driver had been alert and also found that an inadequate safety culture at Uber contributed to the crash. The company’s self-driving software wasn’t designed to expect that pedestrians outside crosswalks may be crossing the street, according to the investigation.

Persons: Rafaela Vasquez, Elaine Herzberg, Vasquez, Uber, Rachel Mitchell, “, ” Mitchell, Motional, Albert Jaynes Morrison Organizations: CNN, National Transportation Safety Board, Transportation Safety Locations: Tempe , Arizona, Superior, Maricopa, Maricopa County

☆ The future of travel: 10 concepts that will change the way we experience the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

Concepts that feel plucked from sci-fi novels and films are quickly making their way into mainstream travel, shaping every step of the journey. Seamus PayneLike air travel, eco-conscious hotels are paving the way for more sustainable travel in the future. HyperloopTTUS entrepreneur Elon Musk has been talking about hyperloop technology – an ultra-high-speed transport system in a low-pressure vacuum tube – for years. Meanwhile, Toronto-based TransPod hopes to bring hyperloop technology to Canada with its eponymous tube-based transportation system powered by renewable energy. By 2025, the company plans to build a 620-mile-per-hour TransPod link between Calgary and Edmonton, connecting the two cities in 45 minutes.

Persons: Elijah Nouvelage, Indira Gandhi, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Austin Farmer, we’ll, don’t, David ”, you’ll, Alexander the Great, ” Michael Breer, KAWS, collectables –, Breer, ” Breer, You’ve, ” Jetson, Peter Ternstrom, Apollo, Cruise, ”, what’s, Boom’s, –, Seamus Payne, room2, Marcel Breuer, Tesla, charades, Yusaku Maezawa, Elon Musk, hyperloop, Virgin Hyperloop, HyperloopTT, Hardt Hyperloop Organizations: CNN, Travel, Hartsfield, Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Bloomberg, Getty, Dubai International Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Indira, Indira Gandhi International, European Union, Emirates, Dubai International, American Airlines, United, Delta, Bluetooth, Alaska Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Specterras Productions, CNN Travel, VR, Aircraft, Federal Aviation Administration, Baidu, Hyundai, Las, CNN Travel ., Alphabet Inc, Beta, International Civil Aviation Organization, Alice, DHL, Air New, Concorde, Japan Airlines, Bauhaus, CEH Technologies, Origin, SpaceX, International Space, NASA, Galactic, Space Training Academy, Nastar Center, Boring Company, Virgin, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, China Morning Post, China Aerospace Science, Industry Corporation, European Hyperloop Center Locations: Singapore, Dubai, Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Delhi, London Heathrow, Paris, Dutch, Europe, Florence, Palmyra, Machu Picchu, New York, Ehang, China, Boston, Las Vegas, Motional, Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, North America, Austin, Beijing, Chongqing, Wuhan, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Mexico, Air New Zealand, Denver, New York City, Frankfurt, LA, Sydney, London, New Haven , Connecticut, Hungarian, Norway, Red, Saudi Arabia, Amsterdam, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Shanxi province, Netherlands, Toronto, Canada, Calgary, Edmonton

☆ A deep tech investor predicts these 3 AI startups will become the decacorns of this decade with valuations of over $100 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Amir Khan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Amir Khan is a deep tech investor who's known about ChatGPT for 10 years. OwkinA health tech startup called Owkin, based in Paris, France, is working to build an AI model in partnership with top academic researchers and data scientists. MotionalMotional is a Boston-based autonomous tech startup that is gaining traction by successfully running the world's first robotaxi pilot program. If you've seen the old Batman movies, you would know self-driving vehicles were promised to us in the early 2000s. NexarNexar, a New York-based startup, is also a company working to realize our self-driving car dreams.

☆ Tesla's not even in the top 10 of self-driving firms, according to experts who ranked all of the leading companies working on automation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Research firm Guidehouse Insights regularly ranks companies developing automated driving tech. Tesla didn't make this year's top 10, and ranked last of 16 companies assessed. Moreover, of the 16 companies recently ranked by research and consulting firm Guidehouse Insights (which ranks some of the biggest names working on automated-driving technology each year), Tesla came in last. Tesla ranked last in similar lists in 2021 and 2020. To come up with the list, Guidehouse weighs factors such as a company's vision, go-to-market and production strategies, partners, tech, commercial readiness, and more.

☆ Experts ranked the leading self-driving companies. Tesla didn't even crack the top 10.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Research firm Guidehouse Insights regularly ranks companies developing automated driving tech. Tesla didn't make this year's top 10, and ranked last of 16 companies assessed. That's despite CEO Elon Musk's confidence in his Full Self-Driving tech. Moreover, of the 16 companies recently ranked by research and consulting firm Guidehouse Insights (which ranks some of the biggest names working on automated-driving technology each year), Tesla came in last. Tesla ranked last in similar lists in 2021 and 2020.

☆ Luminar, Mercedes-Benz expand deal for self-driving tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Self-driving sensor maker Luminar Technologies Inc (LAZR.O) announced an expanded partnership with Mercedes-Benz Group (MBGn.DE) on Wednesday to enable fully automated driving for its next-generation vehicles. Automakers from Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) to General Motors (GM.N) are focusing on autonomous vehicles, but technological and regulatory hurdles remain. Tech firms such as Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Waymo and Aptiv-Hyundai Motor joint venture, Motional, are also looking to develop autonomous vehicles for commercial use. Luminar and Mercedes-Benz had announced a partnership in January last year. Palo Alto, California-based Luminar also said it plans to build a factory in Asia to support the multi-billion dollar deal.

☆ Uber Eats launches robot delivery service in Miami
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The next time you order a meal from Uber Eats, it may be delivered by a robot – at least if you live in Miami. Starting on Thursday, some Miami residents can order their Uber Eats takeout to be delivered via autonomous, sidewalk-trotting robots thanks to a new partnership between the ride-hailing company and robotics firm Cartken. The delivery robots can operate indoors as well as outdoors. Uber also recently partnered with Motional, a driverless technology company, to offer autonomous vehicles in Las Vegas. The company’s partnership with Uber marks its first with an on-demand delivery app outside of college campuses.

☆ Uber, Motional launch robotaxi service in Las Vegas
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 7 (Reuters) - U.S. ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) and driverless tech-maker Motional have launched their public robotaxi service in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Tough regulatory scrutiny and delayed commercial adoption of autonomous vehicle technology have delayed deployment of robotaxi services, leaving investors worried. The launch is part of a non-exclusive 10-year agreement between both the companies for driverless vehicles, with a rollout in Los Angeles expected to follow. In the multi-market deal, Motional's autonomous vehicles would also ferry both passengers and delivery items for Uber and its Uber Eats division. Last month, rival Lyft (LYFT.O) said it would launch the robotaxi service in Los Angeles after it had rolled out in Las Vegas earlier this year.

☆ Uber launching driverless robotaxis in Las Vegas
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

While the autonomous vehicles are currently only available for ride hailing in Las Vegas, there are plans to expand to Los Angeles “at a later date,” according to the release. Uber said it plans on launching a fully driverless service with Motional in 2023. U.S. ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) and driverless tech-maker Motional said on Wednesday they launched their public robotaxi service in Las Vegas. UberMotional has been offering robotaxi services in Las Vegas since 2018 through Uber rival Lyft, though rides before 2020 were offered under parent-company Aptiv. The sale came after a a five-year run of developing self-driving vehicles that was marred by litigation and a fatal crash.

☆ Lyft, Motional to launch robotaxi service in Los Angeles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tough regulatory scrutiny and delayed commercial adoption of autonomous vehicle technology have delayed deployment of robotaxi services, worrying investors. Los Angeles will become the second city where the companies will offer the driverless taxi service after Las Vegas. Motional which uses Hyundai Motor Co's (005380.KS) IONIQ5 electric car for the robotaxi service is a joint venture between the South Korean manufacturer and automotive technology company Aptiv (APTV.N). The autonomous vehicle technology company also has a 10-year agreement with Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) for supplying driverless vehicles. Competitor Waymo started its autonomous ride-hailing service in Phoenix, Arizona last week.

☆ Analysis: Ford, VW pop the automated-vehicle bubble with Argo AI exit
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Paul Lienert | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

DETROIT, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The road map to fully self-driving vehicles is being rewritten once again, this time by Ford Motor Co (F.N) and Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE). VW also bought Argo shares from Ford for $500 million. Ford previously injected $1 billion into Argo when it bought control of the company in 2017. Before it acquired the stake in Argo, VW flirted with at least two other U.S.-based self-driving startups: Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Waymo and Aurora Innovation (AUR.O). VW reportedly considered a $13.7 billion investment in 2018 in Waymo for a 10% stake that would have valued Waymo at $137 billion.

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