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☆ San Francisco moves to center of robotaxi universe after California agency vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Cruise and Waymo have been running experimental services limited by times and geographic areas within San Francisco. The approval “marks the true beginning of our commercial operations in San Francisco,” said Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo co-CEO, in a prepared statement. San Francisco is important as both a symbolic hub of tech and, with hundreds of AVs already in operation, the largest test lab for the experimental cars. The vehicles, with empty driver seats and self-turning steering wheels, have become a common sight around San Francisco. Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma advocated for a delayed vote noting the volume of public comment and her lingering concerns following evidence that the vehicles have obstructed emergency vehicles in San Francisco.

Persons: Heather Somerville, Waymo, Motors ’, John Reynolds, AVs, Cruise, ”, Tekedra Mawakana, Prashanthi Raman, Uber, Genevieve Shiroma, Greg Bensinger, Jamie Freed, Diane Craft Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Motors, California Public Utilities Commission, Transportation, Cruise, Locals, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, Technologists, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S, San Francisco's, Francisco

☆ Robotaxis get the green light to roam the streets of San Francisco at any hour of the day
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Cruise and Waymo got the go-ahead from state officials Thursday to offer driverless rides 24/7. Robotaxi companies Cruise and Waymo have been given the go-ahead from state officials to offer driverless rides in San Francisco at any hour of the day. Before it got the green light from officials, Cruise and Waymo had been authorized to offer its services from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m in limited areas of San Francisco. "Today's permit marks the true beginning of our commercial operations in San Francisco," Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in a blog post . San Francisco firefighters were forced to smash the front window of a Cruise driverless taxi in January to stop it from running over their hoses as they were engaged in active firefighting.

Persons: Cruise, Waymo, CPUC, Kyle Vogt, Tekedra Mawakana, Darcie Houck, Francisco firefighters, AVs, John Reynolds, Waymo didn't Organizations: California Public Utilities, Morning, California Public Utilities Commission Locations: California, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mountain, Francisco

☆ US lawmakers struggle to find deal on self-driving cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - Congress still faces serious hurdles to winning approval for long-stalled legislation to speed the adoption of self-driving cars. Republicans and some Democrats want fast action, raising concerns that China could surpass the United States in deploying cars without human drivers. Autonomous vehicle legislation in Congress has been stalled for more than six years. Proposals would allow automakers to obtain exemptions to deploy tens of thousands of vehicles without meeting existing auto safety standards. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on July 12 it will soon decide on a petition filed by General Motors' (GM.N) Cruise self-driving technology unit seeking permission to deploy up to 2,500 self-driving vehicles annually without human controls, the maximum permitted under current law.

Persons: Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Frank Pallone, John Samuelsen, John Bozzella, David Shepardson, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Energy, Commerce, Communist Party, Workforce, Traffic Safety Administration, General Motors, Transport Workers Union, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, Thomson Locations: China, United States

☆ Chinese autonomous vehicle tech raises concerns, US transportation chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, July 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Thursday his agency has national security concerns about Chinese autonomous vehicle suppliers in the American market. "Whether we are talking about hardware or software, in the same way there are concerns around telecom or TikTok, there are concerns around transportation technologies," Buttigieg said in an interview with Reuters. Buttigieg said the United States needs to better understand "the true ownership of the different enterprises that are supplying different elements of our transportation systems." The lawmakers were particularly concerned about AV vehicle and equipment testing in the United States. Their letter cites data from California regulators showing seven Chinese firms tested autonomous vehicles in the most-populous U.S. state last year.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, Buttigieg, Gina Raimondo, Chris Sanders, Will Dunham Organizations: . Transportation, Reuters, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Thomson Locations: United States, China, California, U.S

☆ U.S. to decide on GM request to deploy self-driving cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. regulators will soon decide on a petition filed by General Motors ' Cruise self-driving technology unit seeking permission to deploy up to 2,500 self-driving vehicles annually without human controls, a top auto safety official said on Wednesday. The petition, filed in February 2022, seeks government approval to deploy vehicles annually without steering wheels, mirrors, turn signals or windshield wipers. National Highway Traffic Safety acting Administrator Ann Carlson said Wednesday the agency "will issue a decision "in the coming weeks." Cruise wants to deploy its Origin vehicle, which has subway-like doors and no steering wheels. The NHTSA said Cruise vehicles "may engage in inappropriately hard braking or become immobilized."

Persons: Ann Carlson, " Carlson, Cruise, Carlson Organizations: General Motors, Traffic, Chevrolet Bolt, GM, NHTSA, U.S . House Locations: San Francisco

☆ Analysts love these Nasdaq stocks as benchmark wraps up best first half since 1983
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The tech-heavy index has soared nearly 29% this year and is currently on pace for its best first half since 1983. That year, the Nasdaq rallied 37.1% in the first half and finished 1983 up nearly 20%. Their average price target implies about 34% upside compared with current levels. Three-quarters of analysts covering the stock rate it a buy, and the average price target indicates 30% upside over the next 12 months. Of the 14 analysts covering the stock, 71% rate it a buy, while the average analyst price target implies upside of nearly 64%.

Persons: Ambrx, FANG, Canaccord Genuity Organizations: Nasdaq, Apple, Google, Nvidia, CNBC Pro, Diamondback Energy, Mobileye, Sarepta Therapeutics, U.S . Food, Drug Administration Locations: Texas, U.S

☆ Self-driving firm Kodiak inks deal to equip 800 Loadsmith trucks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Kodiak Robotics, Inc FollowSAN FRANCISCO, June 22 (Reuters) - Autonomous truck technology firm Kodiak Robotics will equip its self-driving software in 800 trucks for logistics platform Loadsmith, the companies said in a statement on Thursday. Instead, investor focus has shifted to companies that offer less-complex, less-cash intensive forms of autonomy with a proven business model. Kodiak and Lordsmith said pairing autonomous trucks for long haul with local drivers will improve efficiency and safety for shippers, and help allay concerns over a nationwide driver shortage. There will be no safety driver involved in the autonomous part of the operations for Loadsmith, a Kodiak spokesperson said. California-based Kodiak partners with companies such as Swedish furniture giant IKEA and France-based CEVA Logistics for freight deliveries in Texas.

Persons: Lordsmith, Abhirup Roy, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Kodiak Robotics, FRANCISCO, Kodiak Driver, Loadsmith, Kodiak, Logistics, U.S . Army, Thomson Locations: Kodiak, Loadsmith's U.S, California, France, Texas, San Francisco

The UK government said last August it would advance a bill in the current parliamentary session, which is expected to end this autumn, providing detailed regulations by 2025. That has not yet happened, with political turmoil forcing the government to water down ambitions for this session. Transport Minister Mark Harper in December said there would no longer be a Transport Bill this session, and did not mention a separate AV bill in an outline of the ministry's legislative agenda. Last month Junior Minister Jesse Norman said he shared AV startups' concerns. They fear a self-driving bill will be crowded out by other vote-winning priorities in the run-up to the election.

Persons: Toby Melville LONDON, Claudio Gienal, Mark Harper, Iain Stewart, Jesse Norman, We've, Kaity Fischer, Wayve, Ashley Feldman, Alexander Dennis, Jim Hutchinson, Oxbotica, Paul Newman, Nick Carey, Ben Klayman, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Ireland, AXA, Transport, United Arab Emirates, Microsoft, Autonomous Vehicles, Stagecoach, BP, Thomson Locations: Oxford, Britain, British, France, Germany, California, London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Fife

☆ Mobileye, the 'leading' self-driving stock, has nearly 20% upside, Canaccord Genuity says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mobileye Global is a leader in self-driving technology and a buying opportunity for investors, Canaccord Genuity says. "We believe autonomous vehicles (AVs) are set to increase resource utilization, improve productivity, save lives, and much more," Gianarikas wrote Wednesday. MBLY 1D mountain Mobileye Global shares 1-day Mobileye went public in October 2022 , jumping 37% on its first day trading on Nasdaq. Canaccord's $50 price target implies 18% upside from Tuesday's closing price. "Moreover, Mobileye holds the leading position in ADAS market (it estimates ~70% global market share) and is in a pole position to help lead the full self-driving market."

Persons: Canaccord Genuity, George Gianarikas, Gianarikas, Mobileye, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Mobileye, Nasdaq, Intel

☆ NHL roundup: Avs erase 2-goal deficit, edge Kraken
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Alexandar Georgiev turned away 27 shots for the Avalanche, who overcame a two-goal deficit and evened the Western Conference series at 1-1. Justin Schultz and Brandon Tanev scored for the Kraken, Yanni Gourde assisted on both goals and Philipp Grubauer made 38 saves. Chandler Stephenson and William Karlsson each finished with a goal and assist and Jack Eichel scored his first career playoff goal for Vegas, which evened the best-of-seven series 1-1. Mitchell Marner added two goals and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who evened the best-of-seven series at one win apiece. William Nylander contributed a goal and an assist and Zach Aston-Reese scored a goal for Toronto.

☆ Go check out these video clips of driverless cars blocking buses and trains in San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Dashcam footage obtained by WIRED shows driverless cars in San Francisco blocking buses and trains. In one video, a light-rail train carrying San Francisco Giants fans hit its brakes before almost colliding with a driverless car operated by GM's Cruise. It reportedly took seven minutes for the driverless car to be taken off the track. Another video obtained by Wired shows an eastbound 54 bus being blocked by a driverless car from Alphabet's Waymo. To see the footage and read more about the presence of driverless cars in San Francisco, check out the Wired report here.

☆ GM's Cruise recalls 300 self-driving vehicles to update software after bus crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 7 (Reuters) - General Motors' (GM.N) robotaxi unit Cruise LLC is recalling the automated driving software in 300 vehicles after one of its driverless vehicles crashed into the back of a San Francisco bus. The March 23 collision was the fault of a software error in a Cruise automated vehicle (AV) that inaccurately predicted the movement of an articulated San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority bus, Cruise said on Friday. The crash caused moderate damage to the Cruise but did not result in any injuries. Cruise in September disclosed that it recalled and updated software in 80 self-driving vehicles after a June crash in San Francisco that left two people injured. NHTSA in December opened a formal safety probe into the Cruise autonomous driving system after it received reports of incidents in which self-driving Cruise vehicles "may engage in inappropriately hard braking or become immobilized."

☆ Bill Gates says self-driving cars will be as revolutionary as the PC after riding in one
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

He said the "tipping point" for autonomous vehicles will happen within 10 years. Today, no personal vehicles can drive themselves, though some companies have started offering autonomous-taxi rides in certain cities. Gates believes personal vehicles will get self-driving capabilities only after the tech comes to long-haul trucking, deliveries, taxis, and rental cars. He predicts that autonomous vehicles will eventually be cheaper than regular ones. And he expects that autonomous vehicles will save people time (that they would otherwise be driving) and help the elderly and people with disabilities get around.

☆ Oxbotica, Google Cloud partner to scale up autonomous software
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Signage is seen for Oxbotica, an autonomous vehicle technology tech firm, at their company headquarters in Oxford, Britain, June 27, 2019. REUTERS/Toby MelvilleLONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Oxbotica and Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google Cloud said on Tuesday they are partnering up to speed up the deployment of the British self-driving software startup's autonomous software platform to customers around the world. Oxbotica will use Google Cloud infrastructure to create "scalable, safe, and reliable" autonomous driving solutions for its customers in last-mile logistics, agriculture, light industry, and public transport, the companies said. The companies said Oxbotica will use Google Cloud products to develop and test its self-driving technology, including generating digital twins to validate its platform. Cloud infrastructure is seen as crucial for developing autonomous vehicles at scale.

☆ Self-driving startup Venti raises $28.8 mln to speed up growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Self-driving startup Venti Technologies said on Tuesday it has raised $28.8 million in Series A funding to speed up the growth of its autonomous vehicle (AV) business for customers the logistics and supply chain industry. Investors in the funding round included LG Technology Ventures, the venture capital arm of LG Corp (003550.KS) unit LG Group, and UOB Venture Management, the venture capital arm of Singapore's United Overseas Bank. Venti has been developing its self-driving for vehicles for the last three years at one of the world's largest container ports in Singapore and is already generating revenue. This year the company will deploy dozens of entirely self-driving vehicles, CEO Heidi Wyle told Reuters. Developing fully self-driving vehicles that can go everywhere has proven harder and more expensive than expected, but investors are continuing to fund startups that target simpler self-driving vehicle solutions far removed from pedestrians and other vehicles operated by humans.

☆ Oxbotica, Goggo team up for autonomous middle-mile delivery
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 22 (Reuters) - British self-driving software startup Oxbotica and autonomous delivery company Goggo Network said on Wednesday they are teaming up to test middle-mile deliveries for retailers and other customers including Carrefour (CARR.PA) and Dia (DIDA.MC). The partnership will initially see Berlin-based Goggo deploying Oxbotica's autonomy software in Spain in middle-mile delivery operations for partners like Spanish pizza chain Telepizza. Goggo will also use Oxbotica's fleet management system to optimise the operational performance of its autonomous vehicles (AVs), the companies said. Middle-mile delivery routes, where vehicles run on fixed routes between distribution centres, are seen as easier to automate than last-mile deliveries to individual consumers' homes. Oxbotica said in January it had raised $140 million from investors to speed the deployment of AVs in areas including heavy industry, ports and airports.

☆ Embark shares tank as autonomous trucking firm mulls 'shutting down completely'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Investors and industry watchers have also been concerned about billions of dollars that have been poured into the self-driving technology sector in a short span of time to commercialize it. "Over the next handful of weeks, we will work closely with the Embark Board of Directors to evaluate our options, including selling assets, restructuring the company or shutting down completely." Embark went public in 2021 through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal and is backed by Mubadala Capital, Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global Management. The company expects to incur charges of $7 million to $11 million related to the workforce reduction, which spans about 230 employees. Shares of Embark closed down 32.8% lower at $2.56 on Monday, giving the firm a market capitalization of $60 million, compared with the over $5 billion in market value when it went public.

☆ NHL roundup: Avs come from behind to down Oilers in OT
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Compher had a goal and three assists, and Nathan MacKinnon posted a goal and two helpers for Colorado. Valeri Nichushkin, Logan O'Connor and Artturi Lehkonen also scored, Samuel Girard had two assists and Alexandar Georgiev turned away 35 shots. Leon Draisaitl and Tyson Barrie each had a goal, Cody Ceci had two assists and Jack Campbell made 37 saves. Ridly Greig scored his first NHL goal, Claude Giroux had two assists and Mads Sogaard made 30 saves. Wild 4, Predators 3Ryan Hartman scored with 21 seconds remaining, and Minnesota defeated Nashville after surrendering a two-goal, third-period lead.

☆ NHL roundup: Lightning win Cup Final rematch vs. Avs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

In the first meeting between the clubs since last June's Stanley Cup Final, Vasilevskiy stopped 30 shots to extend his franchise-record shutout total to 29. Hagel had two goals and an assist to lead the Lightning offensive output as they broke a two-game skid (0-1-1). Boeser, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Nils Aman added goals for the Canucks. Nicolas Roy, Alex Pietrangelo and Paul Cotter also scored for the Golden Knights while Jonathan Marchessault added two assists. Red Wings 2, Flames 1Filip Zadina scored his first goal of the season after missing over three months as host Detroit edged Calgary.

☆ Goldman Sachs says these stocks have major upside following earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Goldman Sachs analysts said this week there is a slate of stocks coming out of earnings that are just too attractive to ignore. CNBC Pro combed through Goldman Sachs' research to find the firm's top ideas for companies exiting quarterly reports. They include Tractor Supply, Charter Communications , Exxon Mobil , General Motors and Caterpillar. Tractor Supply The farm supply retailer continues to impress, according to Goldman analyst Kate McShane. The firm came away even more positive on the name after Tractor Supply's robust late January earnings report.

☆ Slow roll brings Aurrigo to self-driving airport baggage dollies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aurrigo has developed a four-seater "auto pod" with no steering wheel or pedals for slow non-road routes such as on university campuses. The company has also designed the "Auto-Dolly" and "Auto-DollyTug" for airports and is working with Singapore's Changi Airport, its lead customer, to automate baggage handling. But Aurrigo's CEO said airports provide the perfect environment because all vehicles travel at low speeds. Aurrigo is currently talking to 80 airports about following Changi's lead and Keene said the typical airport will need between 300 and 500 dollies. The IPO raised only 8 million pounds ($10 million), but Keene said that should pay for the rollout of airport dolly AVs.

REUTERS/Phil NobleCOVENTRY, England, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Developing fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) that can go everywhere has proven harder and more expensive than expected, but investors are continuing to fund startups that target simpler self-driving vehicle solutions far removed from pedestrians and other vehicles operated by unpredictable humans. Earlier promises made by robotaxi companies of operating fleets of vehicles by the early 2020s have fallen well short. BMW iVentures has also invested in AV truck technology firm Kodiak Robotics, which managing partner Sage said has adopted a simpler approach to areas like mapping. Construction and agricultural equipment - used off-road in low-traffic environments - has been another growth area for AV startups. U.S. agricultural equipment maker AGCO Corp (AGCO.N), for instance, is using the Palo Alto, California-based startup's software for an experimental automated electric planter.

☆ U.S. startup Outrider raises $73 mln to scale up autonomous yard trucks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. self-driving truck firm Outrider said on Thursday it has raised $73 million in funding to scale up its autonomous trucks operating in distribution yards for customers in e-commerce, manufacturing and other industries. It also includes fresh funding from American venture capital fund New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and the venture capital arm of industrial conglomerate Koch Industries. Outrider says its self-driving yard truck "hitches to and unhitches from trailers, robotically connects and disconnects trailer brake lines, backs semi-trailers with precision, interacts safely with loading docks, and keeps track of trailer locations throughout the yard." The company says its customers represent more than 20% of all yard trucks operating in North America, and have invested in joint product testing and pilot operations since 2019. Yard trucks are designed to move trailers and cargo containers in distribution yards.

☆ Oxbotica raises $140 mln to deploy self-driving commercial vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Self-driving software startup Oxbotica has raised $140 million from investors to speed deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in areas including heavy industry, ports and airports. The Series C round includes funding from new investors including Japanese insurer Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, the venture capital arm of software company Trimble (TRMB.O) and the venture capital arm of Japanese oil refiner Eneos (5020.T). Oxbotica has now raised about $225 million in total and the company said that additional investors are expected to sign up before the funding round closes in a few months. Once regulations catch up with the industry, the company will start running tests on limited routes for Ocado in 2025, Jackson said. "The proceeds (of this funding round) will really accelerate deployment for our commercial customers."

☆ The electric-car industry is set for a pivotal year. Here are 6 VCs' top predictions for 2023, from new trends to investment opportunities.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

2023 is set to bring even more momentum to the electric-car industry than 2022 did. Even with challenges — and some executives' losing faith in the EV biz — the industry can't turn back on its ambitions. Robert Knopes/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesCharging, charging, chargingHistorically, charging hasn't been a money-making venture. Alexei Andreev, a managing director at AutoTech Ventures, said a shakeout could come in the battery industry, where hundreds of startups are racing to compete with giants. The autonomous-vehicle industry took several hits in 2022, but General Motors is still optimistic about Cruise.

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