How Tesla's robotaxi efforts stack up against Waymo and Zoox
June 22 (Reuters) - Electric car maker Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab started a trial of its long-awaited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, the first step toward what could be a showdown with Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Waymo, the only player currently offering fully autonomous paid rides in the United States.
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has started off with about 10 Model Ys and promised to focus on safety. He says Tesla could scale quickly, and he plans a separate robotaxi vehicle.
Social media influencers were seen booking and taking rides in the robotaxis in several Austin locations on Sunday, according to videos reposted by Musk.
Here is how Tesla's cybercab efforts compare with those of Waymo and Amazon.com-owned (AMZN.O), opens new tab Zoox, which is preparing its own commercial launch:
LOCATIONS
VEHICLE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Shock gas price hike revealed as oil markets are rocked by Trump's Iran strikes - and it's set to get even worse
Gas prices at the pump are expected to rise a further five cents per gallon as the aftershock of US missile strikes in Iran continue to rock the stock market. National average gas prices rose five cents to $3.22 per gallon when Israel struck Iran's nuclear facilities last week, and experts have warned they're due to rise by a similar amount again as a result of Donald Trump 's intervention on Saturday night. Andy Lipow of Lipow Oil Associates told the Daily Mail that further retaliatory strikes from Iran could cause petrol prices in the US to rise to around $3.27 per gallon in the coming days. 'It usually takes about a week or two for the change in oil prices in the futures market to filter into the gasoline price at the pump,' Lipow said on Sunday night. 'Early when the market opened we were seeing futures up about 10 cents a gallon, but it's now only five cents a gallon, while diesel futures are up about 10 cents a gallon. 'Over the next week we expect gasoline prices overall will continue to rise another five to six cents a gallon. Lipow added that 'any retaliatory attacks could impact gas prices further'. GasBuddy expert Patrick De Haan also said on X that he expects gas prices to rise to a maximum of $3.50 per gallon, up from the current national average of $3.22. GasBuddy expert Patrick De Haan said average diesel prices have 'seen their biggest seven-day rise since August, 2023', increasing by 17 cents per gallon He said the average diesel prices have 'seen their biggest seven-day rise since August, 2023', increasing by 17 cents per gallon. The situation could also dramatically worsen if Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, the sea passage out of the Persian Gulf which acts as a conduit for at least 20 percent of the world's oil supply. Iran's Parliament voted on Sunday in favor of closing the narrow passage - but the move is yet to be approved by the country's Supreme National Security Council. The final decision hangs in the balance, since closing the strait would also have devastating impacts for Iran's own economy. Donald Trump entered the conflict between Israel and Iran on Saturday night by using American warplanes to target Iranian facilities in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. Known as Operation Midnight Hammer, the strike involved more than 125 US military aircraft, along with submarines. Iran has warned that there will be repercussions, and Trump hit back by saying that any retaliation would be met with 'even greater force than what was unleashed today'. The Middle Eastern country launched more missiles on Tel Aviv in Israel on Sunday morning, and Iran's Houthi allies in Yemen also said they would join the retaliation. GasBuddy expert Patrick De Haan also said on X that he expects gas prices to rise to a maximum of $3.50 per gallon, up from the current national average of $3.22 There have already been hundreds of casualties. Iran's health ministry said Israeli strikes killed at least 400 people and injured 3,000, while at least 24 people in Israel have died in missile strikes from Iran. The conflict escalated 10 days ago when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched attacks on Iran's nuclear and military strikes. Israel first warned people in Tehran's District 18, which comprises military buildings and residential neighborhoods, to evacuate. Hours later, the first volley of strikes were reported in the area. Netanyahu said the attacks, called Operation Rising Lion, targeted Iran's nuclear program. 'If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time,' Netanyahu said. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel 'should anticipate a severe punishment', while its foreign minister called the strikes a 'declaration of war'.
Finextra
an hour ago
- Finextra
Stackup raises $4.2m to streamline ops for crypto firms
Stackup, a digital asset management platform designed to help crypto businesses streamline their operations, has secured $4.2 million in seed funding. 0 The round was led by 1kx, with participation from Y Combinator, Goodwater Capital, Soma Capital, Amino Capital, and Digital Currency Group. Co-founded and led by a former mission manager at SpaceX, John Rising, Stackup helped build wallet infrastructure for major industry players like Coinbase and TrustWallet before pivoting to offer a digital asset management platform directly to businesses. Coinciding with the influx of new capital, the startup has launched a direct banking integration feature to address the fragmentation between traditional and crypto operations. Businesses can now connect their bank accounts to their Stackup wallet for seamless, non-custodial ACH transfers between their bank and wallet within their existing payment workflows. In addition, it has expanded its support blockchains to include Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, Avalanche, and BSC. Says CEO Rising: 'This funding gives us the ability to eliminate operational inefficiencies that have historically hindered the adoption and growth of this industry. "We're empowering businesses to streamline their financial operations and workflows, allowing them to focus on growth without compromising on security or control of their assets.'
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Wolfspeed reaches agreement with creditors, plans bankruptcy filing
June 22 (Reuters) - Wolfspeed (WOLF.N), opens new tab said on Sunday that it has reached a restructuring agreement with creditors and plans to file for bankruptcy in the U.S. in the near future. The restructuring agreement would provide the struggling chipmaker with $275 million in fresh financing by some of its existing creditors, the company said in its statement.
