Latest news with #JaguarI-PaceEVs
Ya Libnan
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Ya Libnan
Tesla's Robotaxi service is coming to Austin on June 12: Report
File Tesla Model Y which will be used for Robotaxi service in Austin , TX starting June 12 By: Suvrat Kothari A new chapter in Tesla's story is set to begin in a few days as the automaker pivots away from its core passenger vehicle business towards self-driving taxis and artificial intelligence. After years of promises, Tesla will begin its driverless ride-hailing service in Austin, Texas, on June 12, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday citing a person familiar with the matter. We knew that self-driving Tesla taxis were coming to Austin in June, but this is the first time that a publication has reported a final date on when that actually might happen. CEO Elon Musk previously said that Tesla would begin its robotaxi service with only about 10 Model Ys ferrying passengers around the 'safest areas of Austin' in the beginning, followed by a cautious and gradual increase in the number of deployed vehicles. The service won't immediately be available to the public, but instead be offered to an 'invite-only' group of riders. However, Musk reiterated in an interview with CNBC recently that Tesla plans to scale to thousands of robotaxis 'within a few months' and then expand to other cities depending on how fast the permits are granted. It's worth noting that Musk has himself previously acknowledged that he tends to be overly optimistic with timelines and targets. The State of Texas has relatively simple rules around autonomous vehicles. The rules state that 'AVs must adhere to the same regulations as cars in which a driver is present (e.g., insurance, registration). State law also requires AVs to comply with all traffic laws.' Austin has formed a task force to collect information about incidents and communicate with AV operators. As of the time of publication, the city of Austin has not listed Tesla as an AV operator. In the initial phase of the rollout, Tesla is expected to employ remote human operators . The automaker has been hiring 'teleoperations' specialists who can intervene remotely, sitting thousands of miles away in California, if the vehicle encounters complex traffic situations. We'll see how effective this approach will be, especially after the company scales up. Tesla will also compete with Waymo, which recently began its robotaxi service in Austin with Jaguar I-Pace EVs and is now clocking over 250,000 driverless rides per week across four U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles. Tesla, however, says that it can scale up faster than its rivals because it already has millions of cars on the road equipped with the Full-Self Driving (FSD) software. However, the true safety of Tesla's camera- and AI-based system is yet to be proven on a large scale as FSD's safety data isn't publicly available yet. And Tesla's advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have been linked to hundreds of crashes and multiple fatalities. Inside
TechCrunch
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- TechCrunch
Waymo ramps up robotaxi production at new Arizona factory
Waymo has played coy for years about exactly how many Jaguar I-Pace EVs are in its autonomous fleet — a figure that covers vehicles used in testing and commercial robotaxi operations. On Monday, the Alphabet company finally provided a peek at the commercial side of the fleet. Waymo said Monday, as part of a larger announcement, that it has more than 1,500 commercial robotaxis in operation. And work is underway to expand it through a multi-million-dollar investment with Magna to build more than 2,000 autonomous I-Pace vehicles at a new factory in Arizona. Waymo has worked with Magna for years, namely at a now closed facility in Detroit. The new 239,000-square-foot factory in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa is strategically located in the one of Waymo's robotaxi markets and close to its other service areas across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin. A Waymo spokesperson told TechCrunch the company looked at other locations, but ultimately it chose Mesa for its proximity to other markets and because the consistent weather made it ideal for the validation process required before the robotaxis can be used by the public. Waymo said in a blog post announcing the factory that it received final delivery from Jaguar earlier this year. From here, contract builder Magna and Waymo take over to integrate the self-driving system into the vehicles. Waymo emphasized a new process designed to speed up the production-to-validation-to-public use process, noting that the AVs can drive themselves out of the facility and directly into service. 'In fact, these vehicles can pick up their first public passengers less than 30 minutes after leaving the factory,' Waymo said in its blog post. The company said that vehicles intended for other cities can be deployed into public service in a matter of hours after being shipped to their local depot. The Mesa factory is designed to handle other vehicle platforms, notably to integrate the sixth-generation of Waymo's self-driving system into the Zeekr RT later this year. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | BOOK NOW The plant will introduce an automated assembly line and other efficiencies over time, according to the company, which noted that the plant will be capable of building tens of thousands of fully autonomous Waymo vehicles per year when operating at full capacity.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Uber Launches Waymo Robotaxis in Tesla's Hometown
Waymo robotaxis are now offered through Uber in Austin, Texas, with Waymo relying on the ride-hailing app to service its fleet of Jaguar I-Pace EVs. The current service area in Austin covers some 37 square miles, but is expected to expand in the future. Waymo plans to launch passenger service in Atlanta later this year, and has already begun preliminary operations in the city. As promised, Waymo's robotaxis have made their way to Austin, Texas, as part of the company's eastward expansion, bringing autonomous tech to Uber riders. Starting this week, Uber app users can try Waymo's now-familiar Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis. And opting for a Waymo robotaxi is pretty easy. "Request your ride, opt in for a Waymo: Starting today, riders who request an UberX, Uber Green, Comfort, or Comfort Electric could be matched with a Waymo fully autonomous all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicle—at no additional cost," Uber says. To improve their chances of matching with one of the robotaxis, Uber says that its app users can update their Ride Preferences via the Settings section of their app to choose Waymo cars. At the moment, Waymo's robotaxis operate in a 37-square-mile area in Austin, stretching from Hyde Park, Downtown, and Montopolis, covering much of the city. But this service area is promised to grow. Uber's partnership with Waymo is not new, having been revealed some time ago, but it reflects a new way for Waymo to expand, relying on local partners to manage its fleet of Jaguar EVs. This also reflects the main difference cost-wise between ride-hailing app drivers, who own and service their own cars, and company-owned robotaxi fleets that need a staff to monitor, recharge, and clean the cars. Waymo has also teamed up Uber Eats in Phoenix, allowing Uber Eats users to opt for driverless delivery from a preset number of restaurants. Once an order arrives in one of Waymo's cars, app users can open the car's trunk and retrieve the food. Where is Waymo headed next on its eastward push? The company is planning to team up with Uber again in Atlanta this year for paying customers, and has opened the service to its employees in the city as a first step. "Waymo's mission is to be the world's most trusted driver, and we're excited to launch this expanded network and operations partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta to bring the benefits of fully autonomous driving to more riders," said Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana in 2024. Waymo has taken a measured approach to geographic expansion since it kicked off operations in San Francisco in 2023, establishing a pace where it adds just a couple of new cities each year. So it's not rushing to challenge the familiar cast of ride-hailing apps and old fashioned taxis in every city in the Southwest, which has seen an early wave of SAE Level 4 testing and fleet operations. When it comes to one other big company with robotaxi plans that's based in Austin, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has recently indicated that the EV maker will launch a robotaxi service of its own in Austin starting this June. The company plans to use a version of its Unsupervised Full Self-Driving tech unveiled in concept form a few months ago, installed in a custom two-door electric hatchback that does not feature a steering wheel or pedals. The Tesla CEO indicated that the EV maker would be able to launch Unsupervised FSD in California in 2025 as well. It remains to be seen whether anything will actually materialize this June or later this year, as the EV maker has a track record of overpromising when it comes to autonomous tech. Will robotaxis companies be able to force some percentage of ride-hailing app drivers out of the business by 2030, or will this process take much longer, if it continues at all? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla: How the battle of AV would dictate the carmaker's fate
Tesla's( NASDAQ: TSLA) Recent HighlightsTesla's FY 2024 performance had been bleak with reporting only 1% gain in revenue in 2024. Furthermore, EBITDA was down 4% in 2024 which primarily stemmed from price cuts revitalizing demand in the fiercely competitive EV market. For the first time in history Tesla saw a decline in the number of units delivered for which the [url="]ailing EU BEV[/url] market and BYD to blame. However, for long-term growth investors, the opportunity in Tesla lies in the autonomous vehicle market where it faces stiff competition from its local rival Waymo. The AV industry is expected to push Tesla to the next levels as the TAM in the western part of the world presents an incredible opportunity for Tesla as McKinsey projects the AV market to be worth $400 billion in the next ten years. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with PYPL. Interestingly, Tesla has taken a technologically different approach than its rival to engineer the its robotaxi, Cybercab which is expected to be launched in 2026. And the technological difference backed by sound reasoning should eventually give the Austin-based carmaker's shareprice a meteoric rise in the long Catalysts- The race to full autonomyWhen it comes to core technological philosophies, it seems Waymo and Tesla have very contrasting views on the autonomy of vehicles. On one hand Tesla prioritizes mass deployment in quick succession whereas Waymo focuses on precision and deployment in a narrower spectrum. Sensor Technology: Mr. Iulian Dnistran explains and contrasts the sensor technology of the two Avs in a remarkable manner. Waymo's fifth-generation sensor suite, which is currently deployed on its fleet of Jaguar I-Pace EVs, has no fewer than 13 sensors, including a 360-degree lidar, three perimeter lidars, three radars and a bunch of video cameras. All these gizmos create a 360-degree view of the area surrounding the vehicle and make it so that the car can drive even when it's foggy, sunny or pouring rain outside. The cameras are also automatically cleaned if they get dirty. The lidar suite creates a high-resolution, 360-degree field of view with a range of approximately 1,000 feet. Meanwhile, the long-range cameras can see stop signs as far as 1,600 feet. The radars complement the lidars and cameras with their ability to detect objects and their speed irrespective of weather conditions. The lidar sensor comprises a laser source acting as a transmitter, a photodetector acting as a receiver, and an assembly of lenses or optics to steer and collect the laser pulses. Lidar's use of pulsed lasers allows Avs to map the 3D model of an environment quickly and more accurately than radar or sonar. Tesla on the other hand, prudently eliminates LIDAR technology and rather depends on cameras as its main sensors. The idea is neural networks would help to decipher visual data and mimic human vision. This strategy comes under the notion of keeping hardware costs Level: Back in October last year, when Musk had unveiled the Cybercab, it was there where he said Tesla aims to hit the Level 5 autonomy level with Cybercab. Level 5 essentially means zero human intervention. The Cybercap is expected to be launched in 2026 with no steering wheel. And scalability seems to be the driving force behind Cybercab's growth as Tesla intends to use the available real-time data from its fleet of existing models to adjust to any environment via the help of extensively trained large language models (LLMs). Furthermore, the Cybercabs are expected to cost under $30,000 when it goes in production in 2026. On the other hand, Waymo currently operates at Level 4 autonomy within specified areas that demand pre-mapped environments to run with any human intervention. Due to the need of regularly updating the sophisticated 3D maps on a frequent basis, Waymo faces scalability Q From the above charts we can deduce that Model 3 and Y, the two cheapest models Tesla has to offer, contributed 95% of the total vehicle sold globally in FY24. Considering the fierce competition in China, what Tesla needs now is caffeine shot in revenues in the form of cheaper models. And Model Q couldn't come at any better time specifically when the trillion-dollar automaker saw only [url="]1% growth[/url] in revenue in FY24. Model Q is reported to be launched in the first half of this year with a starting price of [url="]$40000[/url], which is line with Model 3 ($44000) and Model Y($46000). It is reasonable to expect that it would cause a spike in the Tesla's revenue in Q3 and Q4 of 2025. And this present an incredible momentum opportunity for investors as the rise in sale would well and truly be reflected in the share Catalysts-Uber & Waymo's partnership In late 2023 Uber and Waymo had entered into partnerships where that would deploy Waymo's autonomous vehicles in Ubers's ride-haling services, starting in Phoenix. And in September of last year, the partnership expanded into cities like Austin and Atlanta where services would be available in early the most recent agreement in these cities, Uber will manage and dispatch a fleet of Waymo's fully autonomous, all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, which will grow to hundreds of vehicles over time. Through this expanded partnership, Uber will provide fleet management services including vehicle cleaning, repair, and other general depot operations. Waymo will continue to be responsible for the testing and operation of the Waymo Driver, including roadside assistance and certain rider support functions. The expansion into cities like Austin and Atlanta is indicative of the mutual success of the partnership and helps to address Waymo's scalability issues due to Uber's extensive customer base. Furthermore, Tesla may find it difficult to fully established its ambitious robotaxi services under Tesla network as Uber and Waymo already have lead in the market. Geopolitical factorsPlummeting sales in Europe have cast doubts over its future in the transatlantic markets. EU had imposed a tariff of 7.8% on the Chinese made EV sold by Tesla. This coupled with Mr Musk's proactive political engagement may have contributed to the decline of sales in the old continent according experts. Additionally the termination of the EV subsidies directed towards the general public by the German government in December 2023 may also have contributed to this as the German BEV market shrank by 27.4% in 2024. Unlike the performance in Europe, Tesla had a blistering year in China with revenue growing by 8.8% in the Chinese market. Furthermore, Tesla had delivered 657,000 units in China, presenting 36.7% of the global deliveries it made in FY24 and this makes China Tesla's second biggest market. The concern on Tesla's performance in China lies on the geopolitical relationship between China and the US. Just a few weeks back Cina had imposed a tariff of 10% on electric trucks imported from the United States, impacting Cybertruck's growth in the Chinese market. Even though, Cybertruck accounts for a small share of Tesla's revenue in China as depicted by the chart above, political strategists would agree that US-China relation currently stands on a very thin ice especially after the recent tariffs imposed the leaders of these two nations on each other with a forward PEG ratio of 5.01, Tesla representsopportunity to both momentum and growth investors. Momentum investors can reapthe harvest of stock gains in the later half of this year when Model Q isexpected to be rolled out. And this is because cheap models have always beenthe holy grail of models of Tesla globally and as shown above models worth$40000 to mid-$40,000 have accounted for 95% of the vehicles sold last investors can solace in the fact that Tesla is aiming for a massdeployment by late 2026 or early 2027 albeitin a gradual phases but elimination of LIDAR technology would help the AVbusinesses to be profitable and the huge existing fleeting of Tesla vehicleswould ensure its Full-Self Driving (FSD) technology get enough data to trainits LLM and get enhance by that time. However, Tesla needs to be meticulouswith the safety and regulatory requirements as Waymo faced quite a bit of thesehurdles which hindered the pace of their scaling up. Admittedly, Tesla is notan opportunity for conventional deep value investors as the 5.01 PEG ratiowould put them off. 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