All articles tagged with #autonomous vehicles
Visually impaired riders in California describe Waymo’s driverless taxis as a rare source of solitude and control—being able to ride alone, choose music, and avoid human drivers—though higher costs, limited vehicle availability, and ongoing safety debates accompany the service as Waymo expands and partners with disability groups.
Waymo has paused its freeway robotaxi operations in major U.S. cities to update software aimed at safer performance around construction zones and flooded roads. Street and off-highway services continue, while recalls related to software defects and flood-related incidents have prompted safety fixes. The company expects to resume freeway routes after the software updates, as it continues broader expansion.
Waymo suspended freeway driving across its US markets over safety concerns related to construction zones and flooded roads, pausing highway trips (including in Atlanta and San Antonio) while continuing local-road service and advancing a new Ojai van with updated software after a fleet-wide recall.
London’s iconic black cabs, built on the Knowledge—memorizing 25,000 streets—face a challenge from autonomous robotaxis by Waymo and Wayve that are testing in the city, though regulators haven’t approved driverless rides yet, so a safety driver remains in the car. Waymo touts higher safety with a sensor-rich system and vast mapping, while Wayve argues its AI can learn to drive without full-city maps.
Buckhead residents report a surge of Waymo autonomous vehicles circling residential cul-de-sacs, many appearing empty and lingering around roundabouts for hours. The puzzling routing has caused traffic concerns and frustration as locals seek responses from Waymo and officials. Waymo says routing issues have been addressed and emphasizes safety and community relations across its nationwide service.
Waymo’s flooded-road incident shows a perception-to-action flaw: sensors clearly detected water and the car slowed, but the decision stack chose a risky continuation, prompting a recall of 3,791 vehicles while a permanent fix is developed. The piece contrasts sensor architectures across platforms (Tesla Vision, Uber Avride, Zoox) to illustrate how each handles water hazards and edge cases, underscoring that riders must know which system they’re on and whether flood-detection logic has been patched.
Residents in a northwest Atlanta neighborhood report large groups of empty Waymo self-driving cars circling residential cul-de-sacs—up to about 50 vehicles in an hour—sparking safety concerns and calls to keep routing on main roads. Waymo says it’s addressing the routing behavior with its fleet partner and emphasizes its commitment to safety and good neighbor relations; residents have reached out to Waymo and local officials without an immediate response.
Dozens of Waymo self-driving cars reportedly circled a northwest Atlanta cul-de-sac, with roughly 50 vehicles entering the area and some becoming stuck as they tried to turn around, prompting safety concerns from residents; Waymo says routing issues have been addressed, and the piece notes the eerie parallel to Cyberpunk 2077’s Epistrophy quest and its Delamain cars in real life.
Dozens of Waymo autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles were seen circling residential Buckhead cul-de-sacs with no riders, creating a morning nuisance and safety concerns as residents report cars entering private property; attempts to deter them with a “slow” sign backfired. Waymo says it has addressed the routing issue and emphasizes safety and reduced injuries, while residents and officials press for solutions amid ongoing frustration and broader testing context.
Dozens of empty Waymo cars are circling a northwest Atlanta cul-de-sac for hours, with residents reporting mornings of up to about 50 vehicles and saying the activity feels unsafe and disruptive. Neighbors have contacted Waymo and local officials; the company says routing issues have been addressed and emphasizes its focus on safe, scalable service.
Two doctors, Jonathan Slotkin and Eric Topol, organized an open letter from clinicians urging policymakers to clear a regulatory path for autonomous vehicles, arguing AVs are already reducing crashes and should be treated as a public-health issue. Citing a 2025 peer-reviewed study of 56.7 million driverless miles showing an 85% reduction in serious injuries compared with human drivers (data from Waymo), the letter calls for standardized federal data reporting and for state and local governments to replace unwarranted barriers with evidence-based deployment where data supports it. It also notes several states have blocked robotaxis, and the doctors stress they are not financially tied to AV companies.
Waymo is recalling roughly 3,800 of its robotaxis due to safety concerns about navigating flooded roadways, prompting a precautionary review and temporary limits on operations in affected areas until fixes are implemented.
Uber posted a 14% Q1 revenue increase to $13.2B, missing analysts’ top-line and non-GAAP EPS expectations, but gross bookings surged 25% to $53.7B and Q2 bookings guidance of $56.25B–$57.75B topped forecasts. Net income was pressured by a $1.5B pre-tax hit from revaluing equity stakes in Didi and Grab, leaving reported net income at $263M (vs. $1.78B a year ago) and non-GAAP EPS at 72c. Delivery revenue jumped 34% to $5.07B, outpacing estimates, while mobility revenue rose 5% to $6.8B and missed StreetAccount’s forecast. Uber maintains a bold AV strategy with partnerships (Waabi, Wayve, Rivian, Nuro, and Waymo) and aims for Waymo services in 15 cities by 2026, while expanding AI usage across engineering (95% of engineers using AI tools; >10% of code generated by AI). The company also noted healthier consumer spending and driver support measures amid higher fuel prices, with shares rallying about 8%.
California’s DMV unveiled regulations allowing police to issue notices of AV noncompliance to manufacturers when driverless cars commit moving violations, with a 30-second response requirement for manufacturers and penalties for entering active emergency zones. Effective July 1, the rules are part of a broader 2024 AV law intended to boost public safety as Waymo, Tesla and others test in the state.
Di Jin’s first ride in a driverless Waymo to San Jose airport ended with the car driving off after he tried to access luggage locked in the trunk, leaving him at the terminal with no clothes or work materials; Waymo later said the luggage was recovered at a depot and offered two free rides or shipping costs, a proposal Jin rejected, highlighting the growing pains of autonomous travel as regulators move to police autonomous taxis.