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CNBC
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- CNBC
Amazon's Zoox robotaxi unit issues second software recall in a month after San Francisco crash
Amazon's Zoox robotaxi unit issued a voluntary recall of its software for the second time in a month following a recent crash in San Francisco. On May 8, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi was turning at low speed when it was struck by an electric scooter rider after braking to yield at an intersection. The person on the scooter declined medical attention after sustaining minor injuries as a result of the collision, Zoox said. "The Zoox vehicle was stopped at the time of contact," the company said in a blog post. "The e-scooterist fell to the ground directly next to the vehicle. The robotaxi then began to move and stopped after completing the turn, but did not make further contact with the e-scooterist." Zoox said it submitted a voluntary software recall report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Thursday. A Zoox spokesperson said the notice should be published on the NHTSA website early next week. The recall affected 270 vehicles, the spokesperson said. Representatives from NHTSA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. If an autonomous vehicle continues to move after contact with any nearby vulnerable road user, it risks causing harm or further harm. In the AV industry, General Motors-backed Cruise exited the robotaxi business after a collision in which one of its vehicles injured a pedestrian who had been struck by a human-driven car and was then rolled over by the Cruise AV. Zoox's May incident comes roughly two weeks after the company announced a separate voluntary software recall following a recent Las Vegas crash. In that incident, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi collided with a passenger vehicle, resulting in minor damage to both vehicles. The company issued a software recall for 270 of its robotaxis in order to address a defect with its automated driving system that could cause it to inaccurately predict the movement of another car, increasing the "risk of a crash." Amazon acquired Zoox in 2020 for more than $1 billion, announcing at the time that the deal would help bring the self-driving technology company's "vision for autonomous ride-hailing to reality." While Zoox is in a testing and development stage with its AVs on public roads in the U.S., Alphabet's Waymo is already operating commercial, driverless ride-hailing services in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, and is ramping up in Atlanta. Tesla is promising it will launch its long-delayed robotaxis in Austin next month, and, if all goes well, plans to expand after that to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Antonio, Texas.
The South African
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- The South African
NASCAR star linked with F1 seat in 2026
A NASCAR star linked with F1 will be competing at the Indianapolis 500 this weekend in just his second open-wheel race. While there are already many drivers strongly linked with the American outfit – this one could be different. The NASCAR star linked with F1 will go against more established names like Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Guanyu Zhou and Mick Schumacher. Nevertheless, the clear idea was that Cadillac F1 would likely pair American Indycar star Colton Herta, despite not yet having an F1 super license, with an experienced F1 driver. 'There's a lot of interest in this team and we're very appreciative of that,' said Dan Towriss, a key figure at Cadillac. Despite Trump's tariff increases, General Motors-backed Cadillac promises to be on the grid in 2026. Image: File Likewise, he doesn't hide the desire to centre the General Motors-backed team around an American driver. But Towriss also acknowledges that a different approach might be needed initially. 'We want that person set up for success. And we want that seat respected when that American driver does come in for the team,' Towriss said. Nevertheless, a growing feeling in the paddock is that Cadillac's strategy might be to leave Herta (25) out for now. They instead appear to be piqued by another, a NASCAR star linked with F1. Something which will prove beneficial for the American market in another way. Mexican Pato O'Ward, for example, is an Indycar driver constantly linked with F1. When asked about the Cadillac rumours, McLaren CEO Zak Brown – who runs O'Ward in Indycar – did not deny the link. 'I wouldn't like it, but I wouldn't stop him,' confirmed Brown. This weekend, Larson will run a McLaren at the Indy 500. Image: File And the big name to add to the Cadillac mix is NASCAR star Kyle Larson (32). He is a driver often compared in terms of talent to Max Verstappen. When the Associated Press asked General Motors president Mark Reuss about Kyle Larson, he answered: 'Let's focus on Indianapolis first.' Indeed, Larson is contesting the Indy 500 this weekend, for the second time in his career. Likewise, Reuss denied that Donald Trump's controversial tariff regime will affect the Cadillac F1 project in 2026. – with GMM Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Otmar Szafnauer: 'I want to be prepared to be the successful bidder': Otmar Szafnauer targets heading 12th Formula 1 team amidst Cadillac's entry momentum
Seasoned Formula 1 veteran Otmar Szafnauer is already in the process of making a 12th team a reality in the F1 paddock after General Motors-backed Cadillac received the go-ahead to join the grid in 2026. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With almost three decades of experience in more than one F1 team, the American motorsport strategist feels the time to create a serious bid has come. Otmar Szafnauer feels Formula 1 is ready for a 12th team Former F1 Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer in conversation with Axios media correspondent Sara Fischer Otmar Szafnauer, former Team Principal at Alpine and Aston Martin, is a long-time believer in expanding the Formula 1 grid to 12 teams—and he is determined to be the main actor in making that vision a reality. Leveraging the recent inclusion of Cadillac as the 11th team for 2026, Szafnauer believes that there is a clear path for a suitably prepared and experienced squad to enter the championship. 'In my 28 years, there was a time where we had 12 teams in F1,' Otmar Szafnauer said in an Axios and The Race-hosted discussion. 'And prior to me joining – I signed my contract [with BAR] in '97 and joined in '98 – there were even more, when they used to have pre-qualifying. So I think there's room for a 12th team. And if a 12th team does happen, I want to be prepared, in order to be the successful bidder for the 12th team. So that's what I've been working on.' The announcement comes while the FIA and Liberty Media have indicated a willingness to entertain new entrants, subject to them living up to the sporting, financial, and technical high standards required of Formula 1 today. Citing Mercedes-AMG's Toto Wolff, Otmar Szafnauer feels that team principals who marry technical knowledge with business sense add a strategic dimension. 'If you can do both, and Toto can, I think you gain efficiencies,' he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'You don't have to rely on somebody else. You lead the team yourself in both the commercial aspect as well as the technology aspect, and both are important these days. So yeah, you definitely gain efficiencies, and if you're owner/manager, you have a bit of skin in the game. Although there's huge passion in F1, there's just a little bit more.' This combined leadership approach is the foundation of Szafnauer's presentation, especially with the increasing commercial sophistication of Formula 1 and shrinking performance margins. With a career that features top jobs at BAR, Racing Point, Aston Martin, and Alpine, he believes that his blend of technical know-how and management skills particularly suits him to head a new operation. Also read: Otmar Szafnauer's desire to return to the Formula 1 grid as head of a 12th team marks a new and ambitious chapter in his illustrious career. As the sport grows its international reach and technical regulations come under review, Szafnauer is positioning himself as an able architect of a next-generation F1 team—that has competitive zeal combined with business solidity. Whether his bid is accepted or not, his aggressive approach sends a signal of increasing hunger for growth in the world's most premier motorsport series.
Reuters
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Cadillac to play safe with deadlines for first F1 car build
LONDON, April 1 (Reuters) - Cadillac will be playing it safe with design deadlines as the General Motors-backed team prepares for a 2026 Formula One debut, according to executive engineering consultant Pat Symonds. The 11th outfit on the starting grid had their entry formally confirmed last month but have been working for some time on the car. They still face a race to be ready in time for pre-season testing, which next year is likely to start in Barcelona in late January with two further sessions expected in Bahrain in February. Cadillac have brought in experience from other teams, Symonds involved in building some 40 cars in decades in the sport including winners with Benetton and Renault, and are well aware of potential pitfalls. "We have taken what I think is a very conservative approach to producing that car, and I think that's absolutely the right thing to do," Symonds, F1's former chief technical officer, told Reuters when asked about timelines. "When you have everything established you try and push everything to the last minute so you get maximum performance from the car. I don't think that's the right thing to do in our situation. "We all saw what happened with Williams a few years ago, and we cannot let that sort of thing happen. We have to be up and running, and we have to be running efficiently at our first test in Barcelona next year. "So we've taken quite a conservative approach to what I would say is a well-known problem." Williams, once-dominant former champions now fighting back from an extended period among the backmarkers, missed the first two and a half days of testing in 2019 following delays in the production of parts. New teams have also been pushed to the limit in getting two cars ready in time. Symonds said the team had to create processes from scratch and cited the example of a recent design discussion about the difficulty of getting the car to the weight limit. "Anyone who's got an existing car can say 'OK, well look, let's take this front upright. What can we do to get 10% of the weight out of it?' And you've got a starting point, you've got a target," he said. "We don't have that starting point, so things like that are difficult." Symonds said the infrastructure around a team was complex, trucks had to be ordered a year in advance while hiring staff was complicated by long notice periods and the need for 'gardening leave' that delayed start dates. "We've got lots of people who want to come and work for us. Lots of people in the pipeline. Really, really good people. People I'm really happy to employ. But I'm not going to see them until much later," said Symonds. Cadillac's debut car will ultimately be American built at their new racing facility in Fishers, Indiana, but for now the manufacture of parts has been contracted out to suppliers in Britain, where the design team are and will stay. "We're very close to a DHL hub there (in Indianapolis). We can get stuff over to the UK or to anywhere in the world very easily," said Symonds. "Having a hub in America might actually be an advantage with three races there. So I'm not worried about it."
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
US' Leading Autonomous Vehicle Company Collected 589 Parking Tickets Last Year in San Francisco
Waymo, the US' leading self-driving taxi company that's backed by Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc, collected almost 600 parking tickets last year in San Francisco, the city where the rideshare service began testing in 2021. Tickets for Waymo's fleet, which is comprised of 300 vehicles, equated to $65,065. Comparatively, Los Angeles tagged Waymo with 75 tickets last year, where the company has 100 deployed vehicles, but its service was launched in November of 2024. Waymo's fleet is fully electric and primarily uses Jaguar's I-PACE SUV. The autonomous rideshare company has attributed its San Francisco tickets to vehicles dropping off passengers in commercial loading zones when alternative drop-off areas were congested main roads or a spot too far from the rider's destination, along with brief parking between trips when cars were too far from Waymo's facility. Waymo SUVs have also been cited for blocking traffic and ignoring street cleaning schedules. Waymo spokesman Ethan Teicher told The Washington Post that safety is the rideshare company's highest priority 'both for people who choose to ride with us and with whom we share the streets.' Teicher added that Waymo cars are designed 'to take the safest action available during the few minutes we are picking up or dropping off riders, which is when many of these parking citations occurred.' Sterling Haywood, who has been a San Francisco parking control officer for 17 years, told The Washington Post: 'I gave it [Waymo vehicle] the same courtesy I would give if there was somebody in the car.' Haywood described this courtesy as honking twice to warn the Waymo taxi that it was parked in a street cleaning zone during enforcement hours in San Francisco's Mission District. After the Waymo vehicle didn't move, he placed a $96 dollar ticket on its window. Waymo has received the most tickets for street cleaning violations at 138 citations, however, it's important to note that Waymo's 589 tickets last year in San Francisco represent less than 1% of the city's 1.2 million issued tickets during 2024. In addition to Los Angeles, Waymo operates in Phoenix, Arizona, and Austin, Texas. Waymo operates 24/7 across San Francisco, so accounting for less than 1% of the city's tickets during 2024 can be viewed as quite impressive. The organization's autonomous technology is also relatively early in its development, launching in San Francisco in 2021. Unlike General Motors-backed Cruise's self-driving vehicles, which hit San Francisco streets in 2022, Waymo is still operating its fleet and growing. Cruise suspended its operations in October 2023 after a series of incidents, including dragging a pedestrian, which occurred during the same month. General Motors had invested $10 billion into Cruise by the time the company shut down. While it would be ideal for Waymo SUVs to avoid tickets altogether during instances like parking in street cleaning zones during enforcement hours, the rideshare service would likely receive more criticism if its fleet dropped off pedestrians in dangerous areas to avoid citations.
