Waymo recalls 1,200 robotaxis following low-speed collisions with gates and chains
Waymo issued a software recall on 1,200 self-driving vehicles after some of its robotaxis were involved in minor collisions with gates, chains, and other gate-like roadway objects.
The software update, which was first reported by Reuters, was conducted late last year, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Alphabet-owned company said in the document that Waymo's Safety Board decided to conduct a recall to that specific version of driverless software to 'fulfill relevant regulatory reporting obligations.'
NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation into Waymo's automated driving system last May after learning of seven incidents in which robotaxis had collided with 'stationary and semi-stationary objects such as gates and chains' between December 2022 and April 2024. None of these resulted in injury, according to NHTSA.
In November 2024, Waymo rolled out a software update to its fleet of robotaxis, which numbered 1,200 at the time. The software update significantly decreased the likelihood of these types of event, according to documents filed with NHTSA. Today, Waymo has 1,500 commercial robotaxis in operation in Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco.
Software updates were in progress at the time NHTSA's examination began, according to the documents. The company had ongoing discussions with NHTSA regarding the evaluation of comparative risk for autonomous vehicles and provided the agency with information regarding 9 additional collisions with these kinds of barrieres, which occurred between February 2024 and December 2024.
Waymo has issued at least two other recalls. The company issued a software recall in June 2024 to its Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis after one of them collided with a telephone pole. Waymo also recalled previous software in February 2024 after two of its robotaxis crashed into the same pickup truck that was being towed by a tow truck.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tariff-fueled surge in container shipping rates shows signs of peaking
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Container shipping rates continued their climb this week, fueled by the temporary tariff pause between the U.S. and China, but there are signs that demand underpinning the surge is moderating, financial analysts and maritime consultants said. Ocean vessels transport more than 80% of goods traded globally. Hulking container vessels operated by companies like MSC and Maersk ferry toys and apparel to Walmart stores and parts to factories run by major manufacturers such as Ford Motor Co. Off-contract spot rates for moving container cargo are seen as a gauge of economic conditions. Maritime consultancy Drewry on Thursday said its World Container Index jumped 41% week-over-week to $3,527 per 40-foot container (FEU). The index was up 70% in the last four weeks, spurred by the May 12 U.S.-China trade truce that cut China tariffs to 30% from the 145% rate that collapsed trade between the world's two largest economies. Freight rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles, home to the busiest U.S. seaport, surged 57% to $5,876 per FEU in the past week and 117% since May 8, Drewry said. That rate is down 2% from a year ago and well below the $10,000-plus rates seen during the height of the COVID supply chain crunch. The closely watched Shanghai Containerized Freight Index, which tracks spot rates from the world's busiest container port in Shanghai, is on track to report another gain this week, Jefferies shipping analyst Omar Nokta said in a client note. The underlying SCFI route to the U.S. West coast was $5,172 per FEU last week and the latest spot rates are closer to $6,000, Nokta said. Still, those rates may be peaking as quotes for the second half of June are closer to the $5,000 to $5,500 per FEU range, he said. Drewry's Container Forecaster expects demand to weaken again in the second half of this year, which would cause rates to fall again. The volatility and timing of rate changes will depend on the outcome of legal challenges to Trump's tariffs and on capacity changes related to the introduction of port fees on Chinese ships, Drewry said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Texas Stock Exchange CEO says 35% of US-listed public companies would not qualify for a listing
By Suzanne McGee (Reuters) -As many as 35% of the 4,600 companies now publicly traded on a U.S. stock exchange would not qualify to list on the proposed new Texas Stock Exchange, James Lee, CEO of the TXSE, told the Piper Sandler Global Exchange & Trading conference on Thursday. Among those that would not qualify, Lee said, are Chinese-based companies that do not meet "basic" U.S. listing standards. He said he expects most of the TXSE's new listings business to come from smaller and mid-cap companies. The TXSE first disclosed its plans last June and earlier this year filed seeking regulatory permission to launch, which its officials and backers have said could happen in the second half of 2025. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Retrofitting Qatari jet as Air Force One for Trump to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, Air Force says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to retrofit a Qatari luxury Boeing 747 jetliner to fly as the new Air Force One, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said on Thursday. Last month, the U.S. military accepted the gift from Qatar to transport U.S. President Donald Trump. Retrofitting the 13-year-old plane, which has a luxurious interior, will require significant security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent spies from listening in and the ability to fend off incoming missiles, experts say. "It's probably less than $400 million to retrofit that aircraft," Meink told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing. Democratic lawmakers have said it could cost more than $1 billion to retrofit the plane. Meink said a lot of those costs are ones the Air Force would have experienced anyway. "I think there has been a number thrown around, on the order of a billion dollars, but a lot of those costs associated with that are costs that we would've experienced anyway," he said, adding that this included buying additional platforms for training and spares. Legal experts have questioned the scope of laws relating to gifts from foreign governments that aim to thwart corruption and improper influence. Democrats have also sought to block the handover. Qatar has dismissed concerns about the aircraft deal. Trump has also shrugged off ethical concerns, saying it would be "stupid" not to accept the 747-8 jet. The Air Force One program has faced chronic delays over the last decade, with the delivery of two new 747-8s slated for 2027, three years behind the previous schedule. Trump toured the Qatari Boeing plane in February at a Florida airport.
