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☆ Waymo and Zoox are under federal investigation as self-driving cars behave erratically
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating two autonomous driving companies following incidents in which the vehicles behaved erratically and sometimes disobeyed traffic safety rules or were involved in crashes. The investigations involve Waymo, the self-driving technology subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, as well as Zoox, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Amazon. In cases where the human driver was present, the Waymo vehicle’s autonomous driving system was shut off moments before a collision. NHTSA is also investigating self-driving vehicles operated by Zoox, the autonomous technology subsidiary of Amazon. In one case, a motorcyclist was slightly injured in the crashes, in the other a Zoox safety driver was hurt.

Persons: “, Waymo, Zoox braked, ”, Cruise Organizations: CNN, Traffic, Administration, Amazon, NHTSA, Zoox, Toyota Highlanders Locations: Waymo

☆ Amazon's Zoox under investigation by NHTSA after two robotaxi crashes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. safety regulators have opened a probe into Amazon -owned robotaxi venture Zoox after two of its autonomous SUVs braked suddenly and were rear-ended by motorcyclists. In both cases, motorcyclists collided into the Zoox vehicles, which led to minor injuries. NHTSA said it confirmed each of the Zoox cars were operating in autonomous mode when the incidents occurred. Both of the collisions took place during the daytime and within the operational design limits of Zoox's autonomous system. Last March, the agency said it would investigate Zoox's self-certification in 2022 that its robotaxi met federal safety standards.

Persons: braked, Zoox Organizations: Toyota, Amazon.com, Consumer Electronics, Traffic Safety Administration, Toyota Highlanders, NHTSA, Amazon Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, crosswalks, Zoox, Foster City , California

☆ US regulators probe Amazon-backed Zoox after 2 of its cars unexpectedly braked and caused crashes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewAnother self-driving car company is facing an investigation over safety concerns. Related storiesZoox is the latest company to face questions from regulators over the safety of its self-driving technology. Zoox unveiled its first electric robotaxi in 2020, a "carriage-style" vehicle without a steering wheel. The company has been testing it in California, with the ambition of launching an autonomous ride-hailing service in the future.

Persons: —, Tesla, Elon, Cruise, General Motors —, Zoox Organizations: Service, Traffic Safety Administration, Amazon, Reuters, Business, Toyota, NHTSA, General, Zoox Locations: California

☆ How G.M. Tricked Millions of Drivers Into Being Spied On (Including Me)
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Kashmir Hill | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Automakers have been selling data about the driving behavior of millions of people to the insurance industry. In the case of General Motors, affected drivers weren’t informed, and the tracking led insurance companies to charge some of them more for premiums. This month, my husband received his “consumer disclosure files” from LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk, two data brokers that work with the insurance industry and that G.M. I had requested my own LexisNexis file while reporting, but it didn’t have driving data on it. Though both of our names are on the car’s title, the data from our Bolt accrued to my husband alone because the G.M.

Persons: Bolt, heeding Organizations: General Motors, LexisNexis Risk, LexisNexis

☆ Tesla Autopilot and similar automated driving systems get ‘poor’ rating from prominent safety group
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which rates cars and SUVs for safety, examined so-called advanced driver assistance systems such as Tesla Autopilot and found them wanting. Of the 14 systems tested by the agency, 11 earned a “poor” rating including Tesla’s Autopilot and so-called Full Self Driving systems. Insurance Institute test drivers also looked at what would happen if the driver became incapacitated with the automated driving system in use. Of the systems tested, only GM’s Super Cruise handled that sort of situation the proper way, according to the Institute. The Insurance Institute will continue to monitor software updates and improvements and will periodically retest the systems, Harkey said.

Persons: ’, David Harkey, Harkey, “, ” Harkey, ” Nissan, Ford, BlueCruise, ” Ford Organizations: CNN, The Insurance Institute for Highway, Ford, Nissan, ”, Insurance, ” Insurance, Traffic, Administration, The Insurance Institute, Institute, The, . Insurance, Cruise, Tesla, GM, Insurance Institute for Highway, Insurance Institute

Circuit Judge Reid Scott rejected Tesla's motion to summarily dismiss Kim Banner's lawsuit accusing the company of causing her husband Jeremy Banner's death in 2019. In a 23-page ruling, Scott found that Kim Banner's attorneys presented sufficient evidence to let the case proceed to trial sometime next year. But Scott agreed that Banner's attorneys had provided enough evidence for the case to proceed. The board said Tesla's Autopilot should have safeguards that don't allow the system’s use on highways that have cross-traffic. The car should also make certain drivers using Autopilot remain engaged with their hands on the wheel.

Persons: —, Tesla, Elon Musk, Judge Reid Scott, Kim, Jeremy Banner's, Scott, Whitney Cruz, Trey Lytal, Jeremy Banner, ” Lytal, Musk, “, Reid, Banner, Kim Banner Organizations: Associated Press, National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB Locations: FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla, Florida, Beach

☆ Las Vegas Grand Prix: ‘Viva Las Vegas,’ sings Max Verstappen as he wins thrilling race
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Unlike in many of the season’s previous races, however, Verstappen did not cruise to victory. Starting second on the grid, it wasn’t until lap 37 that the Dutchman passed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to take the race lead. Verstappen said afterwards that the race was “definitely a lot of fun.”“It was a tough one. I tried to go for it at the start,” he told reporters of his attempt to pass Leclerc at Turn 1. Perez, however, did secure second place in the drivers’ championship to ensure Red Bull will end the season with a one-two in the drivers’ championship for the first time.

Persons: Max Verstappen, Red Bull, Elvis Presley, Verstappen, Mike Blake, Reuters Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Leclerc, George Russell, ”, ” Leclerc, Sergio Perez, Perez, Red, David Beckham, Jakub Porzycki, Russell, Brad Pitt, Justin Bieber, “, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, Las Vegas, Vegas, Sin City, Prix, Red Bull, Reuters, Mercedes, Hamilton, England Locations: Sin, Vegas, Austin, Miami, Turn

"This orderly pause is a further step to rebuild public trust while we undergo a full safety review," Cruise said in a blog post. In addition, Cruise will hire an outside safety expert to review the company's safety operations and culture, according to the blog post. Cruise previously said it had retained law firm Quinn Emanuel to examine Cruise's response to the accident. The teams under Glidden include communications and finance, according to the blog post. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said last month it was investigating the safety of Cruise vehicles.

Persons: Heather Somerville, Cruise, Quinn Emanuel, Craig Glidden, Mary Barra, David Shepardson, Ben Klayman, Chris Reese Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, General Motors, Cruise, Detroit automaker, Glidden, GM, U.S . National, Traffic Safety Administration, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, DETROIT, San Francisco

☆ GM's Cruise is recalling 950 robotaxis after pedestrian collision
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Cruise, the autonomous vehicle venture owned by General Motors , has issued a recall effecting 950 of its robotaxis following a pedestrian collision in San Francisco last month. The Oct. 2 collision triggered a federal probe. According to the Cruise filing with the NHTSA on Nov. 7, following the collision, Cruise found defects within its automated driving system software, specifically pertaining to its "Collision Detection Subsystem." This issue could occur after a collision with a pedestrian positioned low on the ground in the path of the AV." After Cruise lost its permits in California and faced a public backlash over safety concerns, the company also temporarily suspended production of its Cruise Origin driverless vans.

Persons: Cruise, Louise Zhang, Elon Musk, Quinn Emanuel Organizations: General Motors, National, Traffic, Administration, Google, Tesla, Cruise, GM Locations: San Francisco, California, Detroit

☆ Cruise confirms robotaxis rely on human assistance every four to five miles
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This Cruise in San Francisco seemingly could not figure out how to pull aside on a narrow street to let a buss pass. First, Vogt confirmed that the General Motors -owned company does have a remote assistance team, in response to a discussion under the header, "GM's Cruise alleged to rely on human operators to achieve 'autonomous' driving." The CEO wrote, "Cruise AVs are being remotely assisted (RA) 2-4% of the time on average, in complex urban environments. CNBC confirmed with Cruise spokesperson Tiffany Testo that the comments were accurate and came from the company's CEO. Cruise recently took the drastic move of grounding all of its driverless operations following a collision that injured a pedestrian in San Francisco on October 2.

Persons: buss, Kyle Vogt, aren't, Vogt, GM's Cruise, Tiffany Testo, Cruise Organizations: Cruise, Hacker, General Motors, CNBC, DMV, NBC, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Google Locations: San Francisco, California

NEW YORK (AP) — Cruise, the autonomous vehicle unit owned by General Motors, is suspending driverless operations nationwide days after regulators in California found that its driverless cars posed a danger to public safety. The choice to suspend its driverless services isn't related to any new on-road incidents, Cruise added. The pedestrian became pinned under a tire of the Cruise vehicle after it came to a stop. Three rear-end collisions that reportedly took place after Cruise AVs braked hard kicked off the investigation. “We welcome NHTSA’s questions related to our safety record and operations," Cruise spokesperson Hannah Lindow said in a statement sent to The Associated Press Friday.

Persons: — Cruise, Cruise, ” Cruise, Cruise’s robotaxis, robotaxi, Cruise's, Cruise AVs, Hannah Lindow Organizations: General Motors, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Cruise, General Motors Co, Detroit, California Department of Motor, Traffic Safety Administration, Associated Locations: California, San Francisco, Cruise, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin

☆ US auto safety agency investigating two new GM Cruise crash reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Cruise self-driving car, which is owned by General Motors Corp, is seen outside the company’s headquarters in San Francisco where it does most of its testing, in California, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Heather Somerville/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - U.S. auto safety officials said on Thursday they are investigating two additional reports of General Motors (GM.N) Cruise self-driving cars engaging in inappropriately hard braking that resulted in collisions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in December it had opened a formal safety probe into the GM robotaxi unit Cruise after reports of three crashes in which Cruise vehicles were struck from behind by other vehicles after the autonomous vehicles braked quickly, resulting in two injuries. "Inappropriately hard braking results in the Cruise vehicles becoming unexpected roadway obstacles and may result in a collision with a Cruise vehicle," NHTSA said in its letter. The DMV in August had directed Cruise to remove half of its driverless vehicles after another crash.

Persons: Heather Somerville, Cruise, David Shepardson, Rod Nickel Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, Rights, General Motors, Traffic Safety Administration, GM, NHTSA, Cruise, California's Department of Motor Vehicles, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S

☆ Here's what reportedly led to Cruise robotaxis getting banned in San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Officials have banned Cruise robotaxis in San Francisco, warning they are a risk to public safety. Cruise was banned from operating its robotaxi service in San Francisco on Tuesday, with regulators warning that the controversial autonomous car company's vehicles posed "an unreasonable risk to public safety" following a series of accidents. "I can confirm that Cruise showed the full video to the DMV on October 3rd, and played it multiple times," they said. Cruise has been a controversial presence in San Francisco ever since it received approval to run its robotaxi service 24/7 in the city in August. AdvertisementAdvertisementFollowing the suspension of its driverless permits, Cruise announced that it would pause its driverless car services in San Francisco entirely.

Persons: Cruise, —, didn't Organizations: Service, California Department of Motor Vehicles, DMV, Cruise, CA, NHTSA Locations: San Francisco, California

☆ Federal regulators open probe into Cruise after pedestrian injury reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Federal regulators have opened a preliminary investigation into whether Cruise autonomous cars exercised "appropriate caution" in and around pedestrians, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wrote in a filing. The NHTSA probe was prompted by two reports involving pedestrian injuries and Cruise vehicles in recent months. One incident on Oct. 2 involved a situation where a pedestrian was thrown by another vehicle into the path of a driverless Cruise vehicle. Proponents have argued that driverless vehicles are safer than human-driven ones. Other companies, including some based in China, are also testing driverless vehicles on San Francisco streets.

Persons: Cruise, Hannah Lindow Organizations: NBC, Area Investigative Unit, Traffic, Administration, NHTSA, General Motors, San, CNBC Locations: San Francisco, Francisco, China

☆ A woman was found trapped under a driverless car. It’s not what it looks like, the car company said
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Andy Rose | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A pedestrian in downtown San Francisco was found critically injured and trapped underneath a driverless car Monday night. San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson Justin Schorr told CNN early Tuesday that the victim has multiple life-threatening injuries. The driverless vehicle was operated by Cruise, a San Francisco-based self-driving car company and subsidiary of General Motors (GM). Controversial driverless carsCruise has been the subject of controversy in San Francisco after California regulators last month approved robotaxi companies to operate their driverless cars 24/7 throughout the city. But advocates say driverless cars remain safer than human-operated vehicles.

Persons: it’s, Justin Schorr, ”, Navideh, ” Forghani, Schorr, ” Schorr, Elon Musk Organizations: CNN, Francisco Fire, Cruise, General Motors, San, San Francisco General Hospital, Fire Department, San Francisco Police Department, Cruise Automation Locations: San Francisco, California

☆ Cruise says one of its driverless taxis ran over a woman in San Francisco after a hit-and-run driver 'launched' her into the car's path
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A San Francisco woman was run over by a Cruise robotaxi after being struck by a hit-and-run driver. Cruise has faced criticism since San Francisco approved its service expansion this summer. AdvertisementAdvertisementA San Francisco pedestrian was apparently hit by two cars late Monday night, one of which didn't have a driver. A number of Cruise cars stalled in San Francisco and caused a traffic jam. There were also reports in June of a Cruise vehicle blocking emergency vehicles on their way to respond to a mass shooting.

Persons: Cruise, —, braked, Justin Schorr, SFFD Organizations: San, Service, San Francisco Fire Department, NBC, Chronicle Locations: Francisco, San Francisco

☆ GM’s Cruise to slash fleet of robotaxis by 50% in San Francisco after collisions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —California authorities have asked General Motors to “immediately” take some of its Cruse robotaxis off the road after autonomous vehicles were involved in two collisions – including one with an active fire truck – last week in San Francisco. The California DMV said that Cruise has agreed to the request, and a spokesperson from Cruise told CNN that the company is investigating the firetruck crash as well. General Motors acquired Cruise Automation in 2016 for $1 billion, solidifying its place in the autonomous vehicles race, but many companies have since scaled back, or abandoned their driverless car ambitions. Ridesharing giants Uber and Lyft have both sold autonomous vehicle units in recent years. Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has been optimistic about autonomous vehicle technology, has yet to fully deliver on his promise.

Persons: Motors, Cruse, ”, Cruise, Waymo, San Francisco, “, ” Hannah Lindow, Elon Musk Organizations: CNN, California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, Cruise, General Motors, California DMV, San, AV, Cruise Automation Locations: California, “, San Francisco

☆ Self-driving car company Cruise agreed to reduce its driverless fleet by 50% after a spate of recent crashes. San Francisco officials previously pushed for a slower rollout of robotaxis.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

City officials previously told Insider the approval would be "premature." Cruise, a self-driving car company, agreed to slash its driverless taxi operation in San Francisco by half on Friday following reports of two separate crashes involving its vehicles. One Cruise vehicle also drove into wet concrete at a construction site. Another collision occurred that evening, in which another vehicle ran a red light "at a high rate of speed," the company told Insider. Tilly Chang, executive director of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA), previously told Insider that her agency believes approving the permits would be "premature."

Persons: Alphabet's Waymo, Darcie Houck, robotaxis, Cruise, San Francisco, Tilly Chang, Chang, We've, Joe Castiglione, SFCTA's, CPUC, Castiglione Organizations: California Department of Motor Vehicles, DMV, California Public Utilities Commission, CBS, City, San, San Francisco County Transportation Authority Locations: California, San Francisco, San Francisco County, —

☆ Stocks stall as US rates seen higher for longer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Committee members surprised markets by projecting two more 25 basis point hikes this year, sending short-term U.S. yields higher and closing out bets on any cuts in 2023. "The market takeaway was that rates would stay high for longer, rather than spike upwards in line with the shift in projected Fed funds rate." Two-year Treasury yields jumped as much as 13.5 bps in the session, before settling two bps higher at 4.69%. China cut a key benchmark, its medium-term loan rates, by 10 bps and the yuan hit a six-month low of 7.1783 per dollar. That likely confirms an end to rate hikes and the kiwi was last down 0.7% at $0.6163.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Steve Englander, Powell, Tai Hui, Bitcoin, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: ECB SINGAPORE, U.S . Federal Reserve, Fed, Central Bank, Nikkei, Standard Chartered, Morgan Asset Management, New Zealand, ECB, Bank of Japan, Brent, Thomson Locations: China, New Zealand, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Japan, New York, CHINA, Beijing

☆ Biden’s High-Speed Car Crash Is Waiting to Happen
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Allysia Finley | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The week's worst and best from Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn, Mary O’Grady and Dan Henninger. Images: AFP/Getty Images Composite: Mark KellyA Tesla Model S abruptly shifted lanes and braked on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge last Thanksgiving, causing an eight-car pileup that injured nine, including a toddler. The driver claimed to have been using the car’s full self-driving function, which appears to have malfunctioned. Complaints of “phantom braking” even when Teslas aren’t “self-driving” have been piling up too.

Persons: Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn, Mary O’Grady, Dan Henninger, Mark Kelly, Tesla Organizations: Getty, San Locations: San Francisco, Oakland

☆ I said cat, not cut; Leclerc clarifies radio confusion
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Asked whether there had been any recurrence of what had sounded like an engine cutout, Leclerc told reporters: "Absolutely not. "There was a cat in the middle of the road and the safety car had to stop, but I think I was probably the only one who saw that. "In the exit of Turn One there was a cat and the safety car braked." Mexican Sergio Perez, the winner for Red Bull who was following Leclerc at the time, said he had not been aware of the cat. Viewers of the Canadian Grand Prix are also used to seeing groundhogs making a dash for safety at Montreal's island Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

☆ Tesla under investigation again from safety regulators, this time for seatbelt attachments
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into model year 2022 and 2023 Tesla Model X SUVs because there may be a problem with their front seatbelt attachments. NHTSA will launch an investigation when there’s reason to believe there may be a safety issue requiring action such as a recall. While the investigation applies to about 50,000 Model X vehicles, the problem has been found on only two, according to NHTSA’s report of the investigation. In that case, the safety recall was done using an over-the-air software update. If NHTSA finds that the seatbelt situation requires a recall, that would probably require manual work by a Tesla technician.

☆ Tesla-induced pileup involved driver-assist tech, government data reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Matt Mcfarland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Tesla’s driver told authorities that the vehicle’s “full self-driving” software braked unexpectedly and triggered the pileup on Thanksgiving day. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration then announced that it was sending a special crash investigation team to examine the incident. It’s delighted some Tesla drivers but also alarmed others with its flaws. The benefit and promise of Autopilot is clear from the Vehicle Safety Report data that we have been sharing for 4 years,” Tesla said this month in an update to its vehicle safety data. Reimer said it remains to be seen if there’s a recall of any Tesla driver-assist features, and what it means for the automaker’s future.

☆ A Tesla driver took a 6,392-mile road trip using Autopilot and Full Self-Driving software — there were some hiccups
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tesla driver Tim Heckman drove 6,392 miles primarily using Autopilot and Full Self-Driving. He said Autopilot has gotten "worse" over the years and FSD was "exceptionally poor outside of California." But, the Tesla driver said the software has been a "lifesaver" when it comes to long road trips. In December, Tim Heckman drove a Model S Plaid from Los Angeles to Pennsylvania and back, using the autonomous software for 99% of the journey, an experience he documented on Twitter. "It's kind of like driving with a 15 or 16-year-old driver sometimes," Heckman said of using FSD in city streets outside of California.

☆ A Tesla owner said self-driving mode got him home 'flawlessly' when he was 'probably drunk'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The owner of a Tesla said he used Full-Self Driving mode to get him home just after Christmas. On Twitter Spaces, he admitted being drunk and claimed the system drove him home "flawlessly." "I admitted the other day, I was a little bit tipsy after Christmas," the driver, whose Twitter handle is @denguyen73, said during a Twitter Spaces called "$TSLA - Musk Metldown Marathon." The probe is considering whether Tesla's claim to offer "full-self driving capabilities" defrauds consumers. These incidents often appear to occur when drivers use Tesla's Autopilot, which automatically accelerates, brakes, and steers on highways.

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