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☆ Amazon built a data center empire in northern Virginia. Exclusive filings reveal it's using as much energy as a major city.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Daniel Geiger | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Amazon does not disclose how many data centers it occupies, where they are located, or how much electricity they consume. Many of Amazon's data centers listed in the permits have been built recently and some may still be under construction. "You cannot run a data center based on the variability of solar and wind," Boston said. Any producer of renewable energy can sell one REC for every megawatt hour of renewable energy it generates. Brady, the Cushman & Wakefield data center executive, said that data centers often match their backup generation to the capacity of a data center's power supply.

Persons: Shaolei Ren, David Ward, Abraham Silverman, Sean Brady, Glenn Youngkin, Steve Helber, Terry Boston, –, Ben Hertz, Wood Mackenzie, Andy Jassy Mike Blake, Amazon's, Priya Barua, We've, Barua, Blackstone, Weston Swenson, Brady, Swenson, Josh Levi Organizations: Amazon, Washington DC, Amazon Web Services, UC Riverside, Columbia University's Center, Global Energy, Cushman & Wakefield, Dominion Energy, France's, AP, Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Republican, State Corporation Commission, Boston, state's Department, Environmental, Reuters, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Clean Energy Buyers Association, Virginia's Department, Industry, Cushman &, Dominion, Data Center Coalition Locations: Virginia, New York City, Washington, Seattle, France, Ward, Northern Virginia, West Coast, Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE

☆ Sex in self-driving cars: Passengers are reportedly hooking up in San Francisco's driverless taxis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Riders are reportedly using San Francisco's self-driving taxis, operated by Cruise, to hook up. A 2018 study predicted that more autonomous vehicles could mean more sex on the road. With no one in the front seat driving, some people are using self-driving taxis for a little bit more than just transportation. A 2018 study by Scott Cohen and Debbie Hopkins in the Annals of Tourism Research journal predicted that passengers might use robotaxis for sex. "Hotels-by the hour are likely to be replaced by connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs)," the researchers wrote.

Persons: Cruise, Waymo, Alex, he's, Megan, Scott Cohen, Debbie Hopkins, Elon Musk Organizations: Cruise, San Francisco, California Public Utilities Commission, Tourism Research, Tesla Locations: San Francisco, California, robotaxis

☆ Cruise robocabs got stuck in San Francisco, causing a bizarre traffic jam, which the company blamed on a festival taking up too much wireless bandwidth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some self-driving Cruise cars created a traffic jam when they stalled in San Francisco on Friday night. Self-driving Cruise cars stalled in San Francisco on Friday night, leading to a bizarre traffic jam captured on video. Reports suggest that around 10 Cruise cars were involved in the buildup, which is said to have lasted for about 15 or 20 minutes. The San Francisco Standard reported that Cruise cars also stalled on other streets near Golden Gate Park that night, leading to a road closure. He told The Los Angeles Times that he was inundated with texts, emails, and videos from constituents about the stalled cars.

Persons: Cruise, Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monáe, Aaron Peskin, Jeffrey Bilbrey, KPIX, CPUC, AVs, John Reynolds Organizations: Morning, California Public Utilities Commission, Cruise, General Motors, Google, San Francisco Standard, San Francisco, Supervisors, Los Angeles Times Locations: San Francisco, California, Beach, Golden, North Beach

☆ Driverless cars stall in San Francisco, causing a brief traffic jam
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —San Francisco residents were caught off guard this weekend after Cruise self-driving cars caused a traffic jam, according to social media posts. The obstruction came a few days after California regulators approved robotaxi companies to operate their driverless cars 24/7 throughout the city. One account, FriscoLive415, said the incident was a “complete meltdown.”Witnesses told CNN affiliate KPIX-TV that the driverless cars were blocking intersections Friday evening for about 15 minutes, causing concern that driverless cars could impede emergency vehicles from accessing the area. That means residents and visitors to San Francisco will be able to pay a fare to ride in a driverless taxi, ushering in new automated competition to cab and ridehail drivers. The San Francisco Police Officers Association, San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association and the San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798 all wrote letters to the CPUC expressing concerns that autonomous vehicles could impede emergency responders.

Persons: FriscoLive415, Cruise, it’s “, ”, ” Cruise, Cruise didn’t, ” Aaron Peskin, Peskin, Drew Pusateri, Tracy McCray Organizations: New, New York CNN, Twitter, CNN, San, Supervisors, Los Angeles Times, California Public Utilities Commission, Waymo, San Francisco Police, Association, San Francisco, Sheriffs ’ Association, San Francisco Fire Fighters, “, San Francisco Fire Department Locations: New York, San Francisco, California, Beach, San Francisco’s, North Beach

☆ Cruise vehicles cause weekend traffic jam one day after California approves 24-7 robotaxi service
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In an aerial view, Chevrolet Cruise autonomous vehicles sit parked in a staging area on June 08, 2023 in San Francisco, California. On Thursday, California regulators voted to approve round-the-clock robotaxi service in San Francisco from two rival companies: Waymo and Cruise. By Friday night, a group of Cruise vehicles had stopped short in the city's North Beach neighborhood, flashing hazard lights and causing a traffic backup, according to reports. "There's over 10,000 human ride-hail drivers in San Francisco, potentially much more than that, depending on how you count it," Vogt said on the call. So it does not make a very high number to generate significant revenue in a city like San Francisco.

Persons: Cruise, Waymo, Tekedra Mawakana, Chris Ludwick, We've, Ludwick, Kyle Vogt, Vogt Organizations: Chevrolet Cruise, California's Public Utilities Commission, Google, Cruise, General Motors, CNBC Locations: San Francisco , California, Autonomous, San Francisco, California, Cruise, Beach, U.S, Vallejo, North Beach

☆ 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

☆ California agency approves San Francisco robotaxi expansion amid heavy opposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In an aerial view, Waymo autonomous vehicles sit parked in a staging area on June 08, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesAlphabet Inc's Waymo and General Motors' Cruise can operate paid robotaxi services using unmanned self-driving vehicles throughout San Francisco, California state regulators voted on Thursday, in the face of vigorous pushback from city transportation, safety agencies and many residents. The move marks a critical step forward in regulating the robot cars, which Waymo, Cruise and others have been systematically rolling out in cities and states around the nation. San Francisco, however, is important as a both symbolic hub of tech and, with over 500 autonomous vehicles already in operation, it is 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.

Persons: Justin Sullivan, –, Cruise, Uber, Waymo Organizations: General Motors, California Public Utilities Commission, Locals Locations: San Francisco , California, San 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

☆ San Francisco's robotaxi dream has been realized, but some locals and campaigners think things are about to spin out of control
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

On Thursday, California regulators voted in favor of expanding robotaxi services across the city. On Thursday, regulators at the California Public Utilities Commission voted 3-to-1 in favor of greenlighting the expansion of robotaxi services across the entirety of San Francisco. This signaled their confidence in the safety of driverless vehicles for more than 800,000 citizens. It is this that will linger in the minds of San Francisco's residents as robotaxis go mainstream in the city. This does, of course, pale in comparison with the number of accidents that take place daily in regular vehicles, but it highlights challenges for driverless vehicles nonetheless.

Persons: Cruise, Prashanthi Raman, hasn't, robotaxis Organizations: Morning, Golden, Traffic Safety Administration, California Public Utilities Commission, General Motors, EV, Cruise, LinkedIn, Reuters Locations: Francisco's, California, San Francisco, Silicon Valley

☆ Regulators give green light to driverless taxis in San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Nadia Bidarian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

San Francisco first responders, city transportation leaders and local activists are among those who shared concerns about the technology. “Today’s permit marks the true beginning of our commercial operations in San Francisco,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, in a press release. Until Thursday’s vote, Cruise and Waymo could offer only limited service to San Francisco residents. The San Francisco Police Officers Association, San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association and the San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798 all wrote letters to the CPUC in the week leading up to the originally scheduled vote on June 29. 2022 was the worst year on record for traffic fatalities in San Francisco since 2014, according to city data.

Persons: Cruise, “, ”, Tekedra Mawakana, Drew Pusateri, General Motors, Matthew Sutter, Justin Sullivan, Critics, Tracy McCray, Jeanine Nicholson, ” Nicholson, Waymo, Genevieve Shiroma, ” Shiroma Organizations: CNN, Cruise, San Francisco, California Public Utilities Commission, Waymo, General, Francisco, San, San Francisco Police, Association, Sheriffs ’ Association, San Francisco Fire Fighters, San Francisco Fire Department, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Locations: California, San Francisco, San, Waymo, San Francisco , California, “

☆ California agency to vote on San Francisco robotaxi expansion amid heavy opposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | 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: +3 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 PhotoSAN FRANCISCO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Amid strenuous pushback from San Francisco officials and many residents, a California state agency is set to vote on Thursday on a proposal to allow the city to be blanketed in self-driving taxis at all hours. But the vote at the meeting that begins at 11 a.m. PDT (1800 GMT) comes amid vigorous opposition from transportation and safety agencies in San Francisco. The CPUC has twice delayed the vote, in part because of the mounting opposition. Outfitted with spinning sensors, Waymo and Cruise vehicles are an arresting sight around San Francisco, particularly to visitors unaccustomed to cars with no human driver behind the wheel.

Persons: Heather Somerville, Cruise, Waymo, Greg Bensinger, Jamie Freed Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, San Francisco, Motors, California Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S, San

☆ Tesla and Google will get the biggest tailwinds from autonomous vehicles: Deepwater's Gene Munster
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTesla and Google will get the biggest tailwinds from autonomous vehicles: Deepwater's Gene MunsterGene Munster, Deepwater Asset Management managing director, GMU Professor Mary Cummings, and CNBC's Phil LeBeau join 'Power Lunch' to discuss autonomous vehicle as California Public Utility Commission hold a vote on the future of the car.

Persons: Tesla, Gene Munster Gene Munster, GMU, Mary Cummings, Phil LeBeau Organizations: Google, Deepwater Asset Management, California Public, Commission Locations: California

☆ San Francisco drives tech; will it drive away robot taxis?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | 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: +7 min

[1/3] 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. Futuristic test vehicles from Cruise and Waymo are a common sight in some parts of San Francisco. The vote comes at a critical time for San Francisco, which is grappling with thousands of tech job losses, firms leaving the city, and COVID-era work-from-home policies that have contributed to a hollowed out downtown. loadingRamón Iglesias, another San Francisco resident, said that though he’d seen the videos and some erratic behavior from the cars, he supports the expansion and worries any further obstacles could drive tech companies away. “We have a very strong Luddite segment here in San Francisco and you see places like Las Vegas and Miami go out of their way to embrace tech,” said Iglesias, a data scientist.

Persons: Heather Somerville, Waymo, ”, Kyle Vogt, X, ” Cruise, San Francisco, Cruise, Julia Ilina, Mike Smith, Ramón Iglesias, he’d, Iglesias, “, London Breed, Greg Bensinger, Peter Henderson, Diane Craft Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Motors, San, San Francisco County Transportation Authority, Cruise, California Public Utilities Commission, Las, Ford, Tesla, Francisco, FIRST, ”, London, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S, Francisco, San, San Francisco County, State, dazzled, Dallas, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles

The maker of Tre model electric trucks has decided to make battery electric trucks only to order and focus on hydrogen fuel cell trucks. The company laid off 270 employees in June and liquidated assets of a recently acquired battery maker last month. Nikola forecast third-quarter revenue of $18 million to $28 million, compared with estimates of $34.5 million, according to Visible Alpha. Other electric vehicle (EV) startups also have toiled to ramp up production, meet delivery targets and raise funds as cash reserves dwindled. Separately, Nikola reported a narrower second-quarter loss as lower production of its Tre battery-electric trucks in the April-June period helped keep costs in check.

Persons: Stephen Girsky, Brendan McDermid, Nikola, NKLA.O, Michael Lohscheller, Girsky, Tre, Trevor Milton, Akash Sriram, Abhirup Roy, Will Dunham, Anil D'Silva, Sriraj Kalluvila, David Gregorio Our Organizations: VectolQ, Reuters, of Autonomous Vehicles, REUTERS, U.S, General Motors, Friday's, Nikola, Fisker, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Phoenix, Bengaluru, San Francisco

Nikola's investors on Thursday approved a proposal that will allow the company to issue more shares. The maker of Tre model electric trucks has been trying to pivot to hydrogen fuel cell technology. Nikola forecast third-quarter revenue of $18 million to $28 million, compared with estimates of $34.5 million, according to Visible Alpha. It had cash and cash equivalents of $226.7 million at the end of the second quarter, compared with $441.8 million, a year earlier. The company laid off 270 employees in June and liquidated assets of a recently acquired battery maker last month.

Persons: Stephen Girsky, Brendan McDermid, Nikola, okayed, Michael Lohscheller, Girsky, Tre, Trevor Milton, Akash Sriram, Abhirup Roy, Anil D'Silva, Sriraj Kalluvila, David Gregorio Our Organizations: VectolQ, Reuters, of Autonomous Vehicles, REUTERS, General Motors, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru, San Francisco

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File photoAug 4 (Reuters) - Nikola (NKLA.O) on Friday named its fourth CEO in as many years as the electric truck maker navigates a host of challenges including dwindling cash reserves, lingering supply chain snags and a pivot to hydrogen fuel cell technology. The Tre battery-electric trucks maker forecast third-quarter revenue of $18 million to $28 million, compared with estimates of $34.5 million, according to Visible Alpha. Nikola's investors approved a proposal that will allow the truck maker to issue more shares to raise funds. Milton stepped down as CEO in 2020 after short-seller Hindenburg issued a scathing report that labeled Nikola a "fraud." Separately, Nikola reported a narrower second-quarter loss as lower production of its Tre battery-electric trucks in the April-June period helped keep costs in check.

Persons: Stephen Girsky, Brendan McDermid, Nikola, Michael Lohscheller, Trevor Milton, Milton, Hindenburg, Romeo Power, Akash Sriram, Anil D'Silva Organizations: VectolQ, Reuters, of Autonomous Vehicles, REUTERS, General Motors, EV, Lordstown Motors, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Phoenix , Arizona, Bengaluru

☆ EV maker Nikola names fourth CEO in as many years
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Stephen Girsky, Managing Partner for VectolQ, speaks during a Reuters Newsmaker event on the Future of Autonomous Vehicles in New York City, U.S. June 20, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File photoCompanies Nikola Corp FollowAug 4 (Reuters) - Electric truck maker Nikola said on Friday that Michael Lohscheller will step down as chief executive officer less than a year after taking over the job and would be replaced by Stephen Girsky at the end of the month. Girsky, who is currently the company's chairman, will be Nikola's fourth CEO in as many years. Separately, Nikola reported a narrower second-quarter loss as lower production of its Tre battery-electric trucks in the April-June period helped keep costs in check. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stephen Girsky, Brendan McDermid, Nikola, Michael Lohscheller, Lohscheller, Akash Sriram, Anil D'Silva Organizations: VectolQ, Reuters, of Autonomous Vehicles, REUTERS, Nikola, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Phoenix , Arizona, Europe, Bengaluru

☆ Toyota, Pony.Ai to set up robotaxi JV with $139 mln investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

file photo: A logo of the autonomous driving technology startup Pony.ai is seen on a screen during an event in Beijing, China May 13, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu WangBEIJING, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Autonomous vehicle technology startup Pony.Ai on Friday said it would set up a joint venture with Japan's Toyota Motor (7203.T) with an investment of 1 billion yuan ($139 million) to mass produce robotaxis. The venture marks a new development in the partnership between Pony.Ai and Toyota, which first teamed up in 2019. In the years since, the Japanese automaker has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Pony.Ai. Pony.Ai, which has offices in China and the United States, has launched robotaxi services in Beijing and Guangzhou.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Pony.Ai, Liz Lee, Tom Hogue, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Japan's Toyota, Guangzhou Automobile Group, GAC, Toyota, Pony.Ai, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Tingshu Wang BEIJING, Pony.Ai, United States, Guangzhou

☆ What is the LK-99 superconductor? Everyone is talking about how it could change the world, but experts say we're still a long way off
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

South Korean scientists claim to have made a superconductor, LK-99, that works at room temperature. But electricity that travels along a superconductor barely loses energy along the way. That's the premise behind LK-99, a possible superconductor material that scientists in South Korea say they have devised, which has been dominating headlines and social media posts in the past week or so. To that end, some experts are trying, but this holy grail has eluded scientists for many years, so the prospects are still a long way off, experts told Insider. "So low power energy chips is one major area in chip design."

Persons: Leonard Kahn, Kahn, Edwin Fohtung, Elif Akçalı, Akçalı, it's, Meissner, we're, Siddharth Joshi, Joshi, Navid Asadi, Asadi, Dale Rogers Organizations: Service, Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island's College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Florida, University of Notre Dame, Arizona State University Locations: Wall, Silicon, South Korea

☆ Waymo's robotaxis coming to Austin, Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Waymo, the Alphabet -owned autonomous vehicle company, is officially entering the land of breakfast tacos: Austin, Texas will become the newest city to offer Waymo's ride-hailing services, according to a Wednesday announcement. Austin is the fourth major city to allow Waymo's ride-hailing pilot program, behind Metro Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Waymo's autonomous ride-hailing service will be available night and day in areas like downtown Austin, Barton Hills, East Austin, Hyde Park, Riverside and more, according to a blog post. Bonelli declined to share a specific vehicle count for Waymo's planned Austin fleet. Waymo announced in late July it would "push back the timeline" on its autonomous semi-truck development and instead focus on autonomous ride-hailing services.

Persons: Austin, Chris Bonelli, Bonelli, Waymo's, Waymo, Andreessen Horowitz Organizations: Metro Phoenix, CNBC, Hyde Locations: Austin , Texas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, LA, Barton Hills, East Austin, Hyde Park , Riverside, U.S

☆ The first self-driving car fatality case put to rest who was responsible for killing a pedestrian. In this case, it was not the robot.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A woman behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber that hit a pedestrian has been in legal limbo ever since. The operator faced negligent homicide charges after a 2018 crash killed 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg. A guilty plea entered Friday offered an answer to the once-hypothetical ethics question of who is responsible when a self-driving car kills a pedestrian. Rafaela Vasquez, who was behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber SUV that struck and killed a pedestrian in March of 2018, pleaded guilty to endangerment related to the case, avoiding prison time. The victim, 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, was the first known pedestrian fatality related to a fully autonomous vehicle crash.

Persons: Uber, Elaine Herzberg, Rafaela Vasquez, AP Vasquez, Joshua Brown of, carmakers Organizations: Morning, National Transportation, AP, New York Times, Tempe Police, of Transportation Locations: Maricopa County, Tempe , Arizona, Joshua Brown of Canton , Ohio

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

☆ Backup driver in 2018 Uber self-driving crash pleads guilty
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Uber Technologies Inc FollowJuly 28 (Reuters) - The backup safety driver behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber Technologies (UBER.N) test vehicle that struck and killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona, in 2018 pleaded guilty on Friday and was sentenced to probation, prosecutors said. The first recorded death involving a self-driving vehicle prompted significant safety concerns about the nascent autonomous vehicle industry. Police said previously the crash was "entirely avoidable" and that Vasquez was streaming "The Voice" TV program at the time of the crash. In 2019, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) faulted Vasquez's inactions and Uber for inadequate attention to safety and decisions in the company's autonomous vehicle development. In 2020, Uber announced the sale of its autonomous driving unit to self-driving car startup Aurora for $4 billion.

Persons: Rafaela Vasquez, Uber, Vasquez, Elaine Herzberg, Rachel Mitchell, Vasquez's inactions, Herzberg, David Shepardson, Jonathan Oatis, Richard Chang Organizations: Uber Technologies, Technologies, Prosecutors, Police, National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, Volvo, Aurora, Thomson Locations: Tempe , Arizona, Maricopa County, Tempe

☆ A city in Colorado improved trash collection, streetlights, and more by using 5G to get 'smart'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Kristina Etter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In 2018, Colorado Springs, Colorado, embraced 5G technology to become a "smart" city. In 2018, John Suthers, then the mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado, announced a plan to turn his hometown into a smart city. How 5G connectivity made trash cans 'smart'In various aspects of city operations in Colorado Springs, 5G integration is proving valuable. Discussing future applications of 5G, Pace told Insider: "We've researched using 5G for kiosks, cameras, and autonomous vehicles." Informational kiosks using 5G connectivity would provide local information and could be used for advertising, Pace said.

Persons: John Suthers, Joshua Pace, Streetlights, Pace Organizations: 5G, city's, Innovation, Pace, Colorado Springs Locations: Colorado Springs , Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado

☆ 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

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