Latest news with #JaguarI-Pace
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Waymo Recalls 80% of Robotaxis for Updates as L.A.'s Service Industry Goes Cyborg
Seventy-five years ago, a new kind of drive-in restaurant opened on Beverly Boulevard in Hollywood. The Track promised to do away with carhops (and tipping) by sending food down a conveyor belt directly to waiting automobiles parked around the building. The place lasted for about five minutes until the drive-thru window was born, but employers have long dreamed of eliminating pesky humans from the workplace. Restaurants, warehouses and now taxicabs are increasingly becoming automated as robots learn our jobs. For now, robo-lattes in Glendale and bionic pizzerias in East Hollywood are a fun novelty but when the A.I. is piloting two-and-a-half tons of British luxury car down the road, things can go wrong. Waymo, owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, recently issued a recall for more than 80% of its fleet of 1,500 cars operating in Los Angeles, Austin, Phoenix, and San Francisco. Those Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis are under scrutiny after several high-profile incidents found the high-tech vehicles on the wrong side of the road, slowly crashing into telephone poles or trapping customers inside while doing donuts. This is at least the third recall and software update since last year when the company reported nine collisions, according to TechCrunch. 'Driverless cars,' Waymo said in a statement. 'Reduced injury causing collisions by 81% compared to expected human performance.' A Waymo in West Hollywood recently gave a little love tap to an Uber Eats Serve bot attempting to cross La Cienega Boulevard with someone's dinner. Next year, Volkswagen plans to roll out it's retro van ID Buzz AD on L.A. streets in partnership with Uber, right as Zoox, Amazon's capsule-shaped pushmi-pullyu hits the road. The concerns are not stopping the mechanical men from their goal of eliminating the puny mortal workforce. 'The robots don't take time off,' Shahan Ohanessian, CEO of cyborg-run convenience store VenHub told NBC. 'They're working seven days a week and they don't really celebrate holidays.' He also noted that the machines recently installed in Glendale and North Hollywood are bulletproof should anyone choose to go to war with our new robot overlords.
CNET
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- CNET
Zoox's Self-Driving Test Fleet Is Coming to Atlanta
Table of Contents Zoox's Self-Driving Test Fleet Is Coming to Atlanta Zoox, the Amazon-owned self-driving company, is expanding its test fleet to Atlanta. It'll soon begin testing its autonomous technology there aboard retrofitted Toyota Highlander SUVs, before residents eventually get the chance to climb aboard a purpose-built robotaxi. Atlanta is Zoox's seventh test market. It announced its expansion to Los Angeles in April, and also operates its test fleet in the San Francisco Bay Area, Las Vegas, Seattle, Miami and Austin, Texas. Safety drivers sit behind the wheel of Zoox's test fleet, and will manually drive around a new location to gather data before eventually testing the company's autonomous driving technology. In Atlanta, that autonomous rollout is expected to happen this summer, starting downtown. But the company's final, rider-ready vehicles don't have a driver's seat, steering wheel or pedals. Zoox plans to allow public riders aboard these pod-like vehicles in Las Vegas and San Francisco later this year. I took an early test ride in October, which felt surprisingly ordinary, despite the vehicle's very futuristic appearance. You can check out that experience in the video below. Now Playing: This Robotaxi Looks and Drives Like No Car You've Ever Seen Before 11:09 Zoox will have some company in Atlanta. Waymo, which is owned by Google parent Alphabet, plans to launch fully autonomous rides there this summer, through a partnership with Uber. Waymo is currently the leader in the self-driving race, operating autonomous rides for the general public in locations including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin, Texas. It's also slated to expand to more cities like Miami and Washington, DC. In a statement, Zoox said Atlanta is "one of the largest ride-hailing markets in the United States," and that, as a tech hub, it "welcomes autonomous vehicle testing and innovation in many fields." The company added, "Atlanta also has a growing population, diverse road conditions, traffic patterns, and unique weather conditions, including frequent thunderstorms. The city is located in a dense, urban landscape, which creates a strong demand for efficient transportation solutions like on-demand autonomous ride-hailing." Zoox stands apart from competitors like Waymo by controlling every element of its robotaxis, from design to manufacturing to operations. Waymo, on the other hand, currently operates autonomous rides aboard retrofitted Jaguar I-Pace vehicles. Tesla also plans to launch a purpose-built Robotaxi, with Elon Musk saying the fully self-driving vehicle will go into production "before 2027." In the meantime, Tesla has the ambitious goal of debuting a self-driving service in Austin, Texas, in June aboard existing Model Y vehicles.
TechCrunch
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- TechCrunch
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.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Waymo's Self-Driving Cars Are in a Growing Number of Cities. Here's Everything to Know
Self-driving cars are slowly becoming less sci-fi and more real-world as companies like Waymo, the driverless arm of Google's parent company, Alphabet, expand into more cities -- and countries. Waymo currently operates fully autonomous rides for the general public in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, which take place aboard the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace. It's expanding its partnership with Uber by launching in Atlanta via the ride share app later this year, and plans to begin offering rides in Washington, DC, and Miami starting in 2026. In April, Waymo said it'll begin driving its vehicles on Tokyo's streets, making this the company's first international location. Along with those launches, Waymo in January announced it would also begin testing with manually driven vehicles in 10 new cities this year, starting with Las Vegas and San Diego. And last week, Waymo said it reached a preliminary agreement with Toyota to "explore a collaboration" geared toward developing autonomous driving tech, which could someday be factored into personally owned vehicles, too. Waymo's expansion extends to its manufacturing facilities, too. The company on Monday said it's opening a new, 239,000-square-foot autonomous vehicle factory in the Phoenix area. The plan is to add 2,000 more fully autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles to its existing 1,500-vehicle fleet. Notably, Waymo indicated it received its "final delivery from Jaguar" earlier this year, as it plans for future iterations of its driverless rides. Waymo added that the "facility's flexible design" will allow it to integrate its upcoming sixth-generation self-driving technology into new vehicles, starting with the all-electric Zeekr RT. In October, Waymo also announced it's partnering with Hyundai to bring the next generation of its technology into Ioniq 5 SUVs. In the years to come, riders will be able to summon those all-electric, autonomous vehicles using the Waymo One app. Waymo says it provides more than 250,000 paid trips each week. I've hailed several rides myself in San Francisco and, as off-putting as it can seem at first (especially to see a steering wheel turn by itself), I quickly adjusted and it soon felt like an ordinary ride. That's not to say there hasn't been pushback as Waymo rolls out to more cities. The company's vehicles have been involved in a handful of high-profile collisions, including one with a bicyclist in San Francisco and another with a towed pickup truck in Phoenix. (It recalled and updated its software to address the issue.) In a research paper published in May, Waymo says that compared to human drivers over 56.7 million miles, its autonomous Waymo Driver technology had "85% fewer crashes with suspected serious or worse injuries." It also indicated significantly fewer crashes with injuries to pedestrians (92%), cyclists (82%) and motorcyclists (82%). The company also released a data hub last year, detailing efforts to improve road safety using its technology. As Waymo continues to expand and develop its self-driving tech, here's how and where to summon the robotaxi if you happen to be in one of the few cities where the company currently operates its fleet. Phoenix was the first city to open up fully autonomous Waymo rides to the public, in 2020. To hail a ride, download the Waymo One app on iOS or Android. The service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also use the Uber app to summon one of Waymo's vehicles in Phoenix. When you request an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric ride, you'll have the choice to confirm a Waymo ride, if you're matched. In addition to hailing a ride, you may also have your Uber Eats meal delivered by an autonomous car. When placing an order in the Phoenix area, you might get a note that "autonomous vehicles may deliver your order." When the Waymo car arrives, take your phone with you to pop open the trunk and grab your delivery. You can opt out of this during checkout if you'd rather have a human deliver your food. San Francisco followed suit after Phoenix, rolling out fully autonomous rides in late 2022. It scrapped the waiting list in June so now anyone can download the Waymo One app to ride anytime. The service also operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There's currently no Uber partnership in San Francisco. In August, Waymo expanded its ride-hailing service into the San Francisco Peninsula, adding 10 square miles and venturing into Daly City, Broadmoor and Colma. And in March, it expanded again so that select Waymo One riders who live in Mountain View, Los Altos, Palo Alto and parts of Sunnyvale have the option to hail a robotaxi there, too. The company says it plans to expand to more riders there over time. In November, Waymo scrapped its waitlist for Los Angeles and began welcoming all public riders via the Waymo One app. Now any interested passengers can hop in the robotaxis 24/7 and ride across nearly 90 square miles of LA county, including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Inglewood and Downtown LA -- with plans to expand into more areas soon. In Austin, the only way to hail a Waymo ride is through Uber -- no Waymo One app here. By requesting an UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric, you could be matched with a Waymo vehicle -- and you won't be upcharged. If you'd rather not take a driverless ride, you'll have the option to switch to a standard one. On the other hand, if you want to boost your chances of being matched to a self-driving car, you can go to Account > Settings > Autonomous vehicles, then hit the toggle next to Get more Waymo rides. Unlock the door, pop open the trunk and start the ride from the Uber app. You'll still be asked to rate your ride at the end -- but you won't be asked to tip. If there are any issues, riders can access human support 24/7 via the Uber app and from inside the Waymo vehicle (there are screens in the front and back that let you quickly summon customer support). As part of the Uber partnership, Uber will manage tasks like vehicle cleaning and repair, while "Waymo will continue to be responsible for the testing and operation of the Waymo Driver, including roadside assistance and certain rider support functions," the companies said. The collaboration should make autonomous rides accessible to more people, who now won't have to download a separate app to hitch a ride in a robotaxi. Waymo currently operates across 37 square miles of the city, with plans for future expansions. Like in Austin, Uber will soon allow riders in Atlanta to hail a Waymo robotaxi. The service is scheduled to launch in the summer but interested riders can join a waitlist to increase their chances of being matched with a Waymo vehicle once that option becomes available. To join the Atlanta interest list, make sure your Uber app is up to date, then go to Account > Settings and find Autonomous vehicles under the Ride Preferences menu. Then click Join interest list. Riders who join the interest list could have the chance to ride with Waymo before the public launch. They'll be notified in-app and via email if chosen. The service will launch across 65 square miles of Atlanta, with plans for future expansions, according to Uber. You won't have to pay more for a Waymo ride than you would for a standard UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric ride, and you'll see upfront pricing in the app. You can unlock the vehicle and start the trip all from the Uber app, and will be able to access human support 24/7 via the Uber app and from inside the vehicle. Waymo plans to start offering rides through its Waymo One app in Washington, DC, in 2026. The company returned to the nation's capital in January to test its autonomous driving tech. In late March, it said it was bringing more vehicles to the city and working to scale its service throughout the year. In a blog post, Waymo said it'll "continue to work closely with policymakers to formalize the regulations needed to operate without a human behind the wheel in the District." You'll also have to wait until 2026 to ride a Waymo in Miami. The company has been conducting weather testing in the lead-up to that eventual rollout, noting in a blog post, "Our previous road trips to the Sunshine State's challenging rainy conditions have been invaluable in advancing our autonomous driving capabilities." Waymo will collaborate with Moove, a fintech company that offers vehicle financing, first in Phoenix, where Moove will manage the robotaxi's fleet operations, facilities and charging infrastructure. In Phoenix and then Miami, "Waymo will continue to offer our service through the Waymo One app, and remain responsible for validation and operation of the Waymo Driver," the company said in a blog post. Waymo's expansion into Tokyo, which was announced in December, is happening in partnership with Japanese taxi service Nihon Kotsu and taxi app Go. In April, the self-driving company shared that it's finally ready to hit the road abroad. Waymo says trained Nihon Kotsu drivers will manually drive its vehicles across seven Tokyo wards, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa and Kōtō. This will allow engineers to test and adapt Waymo's autonomous driving tech to local road features and traffic. "In Tokyo, we are abiding by the same steadfast principles that guide us in the US -- commitment to safety, dedication to earning trust in communities where we operate, and collaboration with local officials and community groups here in Tokyo," Nicole Gavel, Waymo's head of business development and strategic partnerships, said in a statement. It's not clear when riders will be able to hitch a self-driving ride with Waymo in Tokyo. In August, Waymo unveiled the sixth generation of its self-driving technology, which strives to expand the capabilities of its driverless fleet. Smarter sensors are meant to help the cars better navigate in extreme weather, Waymo said. The sixth-gen Driver will come aboard the all-electric Zeekr vehicle, which features a flat floor, more head- and legroom, adjustable seats and a removable steering wheel and pedals. The updated tech is still being tested but the company says it'll be available to riders soon. In October, Waymo also announced a partnership with Hyundai to integrate its sixth-generation Driver into the all-electric Ioniq 5 SUV, which, according to a blog post, "will be added to the Waymo One fleet over time." The companies added that they "plan to produce a fleet of Ioniq 5s equipped with Waymo's technology in significant volume over multiple years to support Waymo One's growing scale." Testing with these vehicles will start by late 2025 and become available "in the years to follow." Currently, everyday riders can't take a Waymo vehicle on highways and freeways but that may soon change. The company is testing fully autonomous rides on freeways in Phoenix, as seen in an exclusive video shared with CNET in May. It's also now making fully autonomous freeway rides available to Waymo employees in Los Angeles. Waymo is working to expand its autonomous driving tech into trucking as well but it said last year that it's scaling back those efforts for the time being, to focus on ride-hailing with Waymo One. It noted, "Our ongoing investment in advancing Waymo Driver capabilities, especially on freeways, will directly translate to trucking and benefit its development efforts."
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First Post
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- First Post
Trump-Starmer trade deal brings joy to Tata Motors shareholders, India-UK FTA also helps
This surge is driven by several positive factors, including the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), strong sales of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), and the company's strategic demerger plan read more A Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicle (EV) is seen displayed at the Jaguar Land Rover booth during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China April 19, 2021. Source: Reuters Tata Motors shares continued their upward movement for the third straight day on Friday (May 9), rising by up to 3.5 per cent to reach an intraday high of Rs 704 on the BSE. This surge is driven by several positive factors, including the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), strong sales of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), and the company's strategic demerger plan. The US-UK trade deal, announced Thursday (May 8), has also helped Tata Motors stocks jump upwards in green territory. The deal was announced by US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the first such accomplishment after Washington unleashed a global tariff campaign in early April. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Why is the stock rising? Market experts point out several main reasons for the stock's rise. These include optimism about the India-UK FTA and its potential benefits for JLR, expectations around the UK-US trade agreement, promising Q4 sales figures from JLR, and the demerger plan aimed at increasing shareholder value. The newly announced India-UK FTA is expected to greatly reduce import duties on premium vehicles, from around 100 per cent to 10 per cent under a quota system. More from Business How Indian fintech startups are driving Malaysia's UPI-like digital payments revolution This could be a major advantage for JLR, making it more competitive in India and increasing sales. In the March quarter of FY25, JLR reported a 6.7 per cent increase in sales compared to the previous quarter and a 1.1 per cent growth compared to the same period last year, despite ongoing challenges in the Chinese market. Additionally, Tata Motors recently announced a plan to restructure its business by separating its Commercial Vehicles (CV) division from its Passenger Vehicles (PV), Electric Vehicles (EV), and JLR operations into two independently listed companies. This move aims to improve operational efficiency and agility, with the long-term goal of creating more value for shareholders. The proposal has received strong support from analysts and investors alike.
